The Magnolia Tree
by Mii-chan1
Summary: [Complete]The death of Shang's father and his new responsibility as General have made him a hardened man. Emotions are forms of weakness. He's no longer the kind Shang we knew. Will Mulan be able to get the old Shang back or is the new Shang here to stay?
1. The New Shang

Okay, this is my first Mulan fanfic, but I'm going to try my best! I usually write Dragon Ball Z ones, so this is going to be very different for me! Anyway, here goes!

I don't own anything to do with the Mulan movie. I own my storyline but not the Disney characters I'm using.

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Shang walked silently up the walk to his home. Since his mother learned of his father's death, she had since passed away. The doctor said it was from a broken heart. The house is by no means empty, however.

The warrior sets down his helmet as a maid comes in. She is a young woman, though she looks much older than she is. Her hair is jet black and pulled up into a bun and she has a pale face. She wears a dark kimono-style dress. She bows deeply and motions for Shang to follow her. He complies and he is led into a rather dark room. His meal is hot and he kneels down on a cushion to eat.

"General?" The maid bowed again. "You have a visitor."

"Send him in." The General answered coldly. She bowed sadly and left the room. The maid returned a moment later with a messenger from the emperor. Again, she bowed and left the room.

"You have a message from me?" Shang demanded, getting right to business.

"Yes. The Emperor needs you to come to the palace right away. Urgent business."

"When must I leave?"

"Tomorrow morning." The messenger replied.

"I will leave tomorrow then. Will you be accompanying me back to the palace?"

"If you will allow me to stay the night."

"I will have one of my maids show you to a guest room." Shang answered. "Mei." He snapped. The same maid from before walked back into the room and bowed.

"Yes?"

"Show this man to a guestroom." Shang ordered.

"Yes, sir." Mei bowed and waited for the messenger to rise. He also bowed and followed Mei to his room for the night. Shang finished his meal in silence and walked to his own room. He washes his face in a wash basin and removes his clothing to put on clothes for sleeping.

* * *

"Mulan," Fa Zou addressed his daughter at dinner. Grandmother Fa and Fa Li glanced at each other nervously. Mulan wondered why but turned back to her father.

"Yes, Baba."

"We have gotten word from the Emperor. He needs you to return to the palace."

"What? Why?" Mulan was confused.

"I do not know. The messenger only said that you should leave right away in the morning. You will take Khan and meet him at the edge of the city. He will be riding one of the imperial white stallions. That is how he said you will find him."

"Okay, Baba, I'll go." Mulan decided even though it wasn't hers to decide. The rest of the meal was finished in silence. Mulan was sent to bed early in order to be rested for her long journey to the imperial palace.

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Okay, I'll see how this goes over! If I get any names wrong, please let me know!


	2. The Journey Begins

Wow! I got reviews! Thanks a lot, especially to Lynn12 for correcting my silly spelling mistake!

Disclaimer should be right about.......... ..........here.

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Last time:

"Okay, Baba, I'll go." Mulan decided even though it wasn't hers to decide. The rest of the meal was finished in silence. Mulan was sent to bed early in order to be rested for her long journey to the imperial palace.

* * *

Mulan woke early the next morning. She washed and put on her usual dress. As she got ready, she wondered what the emperor could want. Could there already be another war? Surely she would be allowed back into the army! It must be something else!

Little Brother, her dog, followed her around happily as she rushed about to get her chores done. Mulan fed the chickens and Little Brother chased them away. She then went to get Khan ready. He was still sleeping and was not happy about being woken up by a yapping little dog. Khan kicked out at him to show his displeasure.

"Quiet, Khan." Mulan soothed him. "We have a long journey today." Khan snorted in return and lowered his head to eat. After Mulan had gotten a blanket and groomed him, she took Khan and his feed bucket out into the courtyard. She tied his lead rope loosely to a fence post, knowing he wouldn't run away. Then she went inside to help with breakfast.

"Don't worry about it, Mulan." Grandma Fa said when Mulan entered the kitchen. "Go wash again. You smell like that horse." Another short of displeasure could be heard from the courtyard. Mulan rolled her eyes and walked away to, again, wash up.

* * *

Shang woke up around the same time Mulan did. He washed and got dressed. Instead of doing chores like Mulan, he merely went and sat at the table. Mei brought him his breakfast.

"I'll need my horse readied." Shang told her when she came back with his tea.

"Yes, sir," she bowed, "I'll tell one of the stable hands." She turned and quietly left the room. Mei returned a little while later to take several empty bowls.

"Where is that messenger?" Shang asked, sounding as though he didn't really care that much.

"He woke much earlier. He ate and left saying he would return later." Mei replied. Shang merely nodded and finished his breakfast. Mei cleared the rest of the dishes away.

"Have a safe journey." She told him and bowed back into the kitchen. Shang got up to see that his horse was ready. When he walked outside, he saw that the messenger had returned. The messenger got off his horse and bowed to the General.

"I am just about ready." Shang muttered. He walked away from the messenger into his stable. A stable hand was walking towards him with his gleaming white stallion.

"Here he is, sir." The stable hand bowed and handed the lead rope to Shang. Shang nodded his head and turned to lead his horse out into the courtyard. The messenger had gotten back onto his horse and was waiting patiently. Shang mounted his stallion and the messenger led him out of the gate onto the road. Instead of going in the direction of the imperial palace, he turned in the opposite direction.

"Where are we going?" Shang demanded.

"We will have another person traveling with us." The messenger answered. "We must go to the next village." Shang did not reply. The village was only a ten-minute ride away. When they got there, they waited at the edge.

* * *

Mulan sat silent under the magnolia tree in their courtyard. It was about to blossom. The buds on the tree were light pink in color and looked like they were about to burst. It was her favorite tree and she was sad because she felt she was going to mess it.

"Do not be sad." Her father leaned on his cane behind her. He knew exactly what was wrong. "It will blossom again next year." Mulan nodded quietly. "You must go. You don't want to upset the messenger."

"Yes, Baba." Mulan rose and hugged her father. "I will see you soon."

"You're right Mulan." He returned her hug. She bid farewell to her mother and grandmother and, of course, Little Brother. After tying a bag that contained clothes and food to the blanket on Khan, she led him out the gate. It wasn't a long walk to the edge of the village.

There were two men there, both on white horses. One, the messenger, looked at her with disdain because she was a woman. The other looked at her also. His eyes were cold and uncaring. He didn't even show that he recognized her.

"Shang?"

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I know it was short, but the next one will be longer, I promise! Thanks for your reviews!


	3. A Peek from Behind the Mask

Thanks for the reviews! Sorry that last one was so short! This one should be lots longer!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Disney characters.

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Last Time:

There were two men there, both on white horses. One, the messenger, looked at her with disdain because she was a woman. The other looked at her also. His eyes were cold and uncaring. He didn't even show that he recognized her.

"Shang?"

* * *

"Shang?" Mulan asked again, confused. "What's wrong?"

""Address him as General Li!" The messenger snapped. Although she saved China, to him, she was just a woman and a disrespectful one at that.

"General Li?" Mulan asked, glaring at the Messenger. Shang still had not answered. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing at all." Shang answered dully. His eyes showed no emotion. Mulan was hurt, but she just shook it off.

"Shall we be off?" The messenger asked, directing his question to Shang.

"Yes, we better." Shang answered. Mulan climbed onto Khan and the three started on their journey. There was no talking as the rode, usually at as easy trot. When it came time for lunch, they did not stop for very long; only long enough to eat a small amount and let the horses drink some water. The afternoon was also spent in silence. They came upon a village that slightly larger than Mulan's.

"Where will we be sleeping?" Mulan asked. The messenger glared at her.

"We have rooms as an inn." He answered. They reached the inn and their horses were taken from them and put up in the stable that was owned by the inn.

When Mulan got to her room, she lit the lamp. When the room was fully lit, she could see that it was extremely tiny. There was a mat on the floor to sleep on, which was normal, and a small table that held the lamp. There was no bathroom connected to the room- she would have to use the one for all the women. She didn't expect much, but this was really bad!

'I wonder was Shang would think' Mulan thought as she went to wash before bed. When she entered the hallway, Shang was coming towards her from his room. She waited for him to reach her the she walked with him. He only acknowledged her presence with a nod. She was confused-he was much friendlier before- what happened?

"What's wrong, Shang?" Mulan asked again. "You've changed."

"It doesn't concern you." Was his only reply. Mulan looked away to hide the hurt she knew was in her eyes. When she got to the door of her bathroom. Shang just kept walking.

"Good night, Shang." Mulan said softly. She couldn't tell if he heard of not, but either way, he didn't respond. Mulan sighed and entered the bathroom. Thankfully there was no one in it. She washed quickly in case someone else came in; she wanted the privacy she was used to at home.

Mulan made her way back to her room. She needed her sleep if she was going to ride all day again tomorrow. She had left the lamp burning so she could see when she got back to her room. She changed into her pajamas and, after putting out the lamp, laid down on the mat to go to sleep. Sleep didn't come easily, though. It was always hard to sleep in a strange place. It was the same thing as the military camp but at least then she had had Mushu and Cri-Kee. She fell asleep after a long while, thinking about her previous adventure.

* * *

Shang, too, was having trouble falling asleep. But it wasn't because he was sleeping in a strange place- he was used to that- it was because Mulan had unknowingly reminded him of his father's death. He was reminded of how she had shown that small amount of comfort when he had needed it most. He sighed, rolled over, and finally fell asleep.

* * *

Mulan woke up to the sun creeping across her face. She opened her eyes and sat up. She stretched as she got out of bed. After changing into clothes, she gathered her few belongings and left her room. Yet again, Shang was walking towards her. She waited for him again and walked by his side.

"Good morning." Mulan smiled at him.

"Morning," He answered shortly. He was also carrying his bag. Then walked out of the inn to the stables. The messenger was already there waiting for them. He had made sure the horses were ready. Mulan greeted Khan and ignored the messenger. It was his fault that she had gotten the terrible room.

"We shall reach the palace some time this evening." The messenger told them as they mounted their horses.

"Good." Answered Shang. Their journey was taken in the same silence as the day before, until around lunch, that is. During this time they were traveling through a small region that was controlled by rebels. The white horses and the emperor's crest on the clothes worn by the messenger were very obvious. The messenger seemed oblivious to this fact; he decided to stop for lunch.

Mulan and Shang could sense something was wrong. The whole area seemed unfriendly. Mulan pushed it to the back of her mind, but Shang didn't make that mistake. Instead, he made sure to stay fully alert. A little bit of the old Shang peeked through when their little camp was ambushed.

"Mulan! Look out!" Shang shoved her to the ground as a clang was heard as an arrow ricocheted off his armor. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She answered. "Thank you." Shang drew his sword and waited for someone to come. A few seconds later, footsteps were heard and five men surrounded them. These men were large; two were wearing armor and carrying swords. The other three carried bows and arrows and stood a little farther back. Mulan was feeling quite useless; she hadn't thought to bring any weapons. This time, she didn't even have a fan!

The men with the swords started advancing while the ones with the bows and arrows remained behind. Shang was ready to fight, however, the messenger was frozen in fear. Mulan rolled her eyes and grabbed his sword and scabbard. He didn't even notice. She drew the sword and tossed the scabbard back at him. It hit him in the chest and he didn't move. She turned to face one of the enemies.

Somehow, she managed to pick the largest of the five. Just her luck. At least she would only have one; Shang was forced to fight the other two. He was doing considerably well. The size of the two men made them quite a bit slower than Shang, so he was able to dodge out of the way quickly enough. He killed the first one and focused his attention on the second one.

Mulan was also doing quite well. Except that her lack of training since she came home was making her reflexes slow. She was still able to dodge the man's swipes but she couldn't seem to get a hit in. Finally, she slashed out at his arm and got a hit. The man faltered and Mulan slashed out again, this time at his face. Only the tip of her sword caught his cheek. He brought his hand up to his face in shock.

"You'll pay for that one!" He roared and slashed out even quicker at her. She jumped over a swipe at her legs and ducked his next slash at her neck. He moved to stab her in the stomach and she dodged and blocked. All she could do was defend! She wasn't even able to think of trying to attack. She was backing up a step every time he took a step forward. She was soon backed up into a tree with nowhere to go except up, so that's where she went!

Mulan quickly slid the sword through the material at her waist and jumped for the lowest branch. The move surprised her opponent and he didn't think to move. He recovered and swung at the branch Mulan was standing on, cutting it off just as she jumped for the next higher one. He repeated this several times until he could no longer reach the branch she was standing on.

Mulan thought she was safe. She was very wrong! An archer aimed and shot, missing her legs by inches. His second shot did not miss. Mulan cried out in pain but refused to fall from the tree. She reached down and wrenched the arrow from her right calf muscle. As she was doing this, the archer shot again, hitting her in the right shoulder. She screamed in pain again and this time she fell. She landed on the ground with a thud and didn't move. The man she was originally fighting laughed hoarsely and moved in to finish her off.

"Mulan!" Shang muttered and began advancing on her opponent from behind. He had killed his second man just as she was hit the second time. The great man raised his sword above his head and began bringing in down on Mulan. At this same moment, Shang plunged his sword into the man's back. The man roared in pain and fell to the ground, dead. The archers, finding themselves utterly defenseless, turned tail and ran.

"Mulan? Are you okay?" He shook her good shoulder gently. She didn't respond. Shang saw that the arrow was still in her shoulder and took the time to yank it out.

"Shang?" Mulan opened her eyes slowly. "Are they gone?"

"Yes, they're gone." Shang answered. "Where else are you hurt?" He asked, looking her over. He registered the wound on her leg but didn't see anything else. "Can you feel this?" He pinched her good leg.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Good. I was making sure you weren't paralyzed from your fall." Shang answered. He put his hand in her left hand. "Squeeze my hand." She did so. "Good. Can you feel this?" He tapped the fingers on her right hand."

"Yeah." Mulan answered.

"What about this?" He tapped her right ankle. Mulan nodded. "Okay, I'm going to bandage your leg and shoulder as best I can. When we reach the palace, the emperor will get you a medic."

"Okay." Mulan answered. Shang tore her pant leg off at the knee and used the material to stop the bleeding. He did the same with her shirtsleeve, only he tore it off at the seam at the shoulder. When he was done, his eyes suddenly reverted back to the cold ones that had looked out at her before.

"Shang?" Mulan asked hesitantly.

"What were you thinking?!" Shang demanded. "You could have been killed!" He shook his head at her. "You should have just let me handle it!"

"But Shang-"

"No buts, Mulan! How am I going to explain this to the emperor?!" He went on. Mulan suddenly became angry.

"Is that all you care about? Saving your own hide?" She stood up to go over to Khan but found that she couldn't walk. When she would step with her right foot, she would fall back to the ground. The last time she tried, she found herself feeling lightheaded and passed out.

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Is that long enough for you all? I hope so. In fact, it was more than twice the length of the second chapter! I'm really pleased with the fight scene. What did you think?


	4. Another Jouney Begins

Thanks for the reviews again! **alibi girl: **Mulan put pressure on the leg, hoping it wasn't that bad. She also wasn't really thinking about anything about being angry with Shang. shrug I think it makes sense. :)

Disclaimer: nope.

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Last time:

"Is that all you care about? Saving your own hide?" She stood up to go over to Khan but found that she couldn't walk. When she would step with her right foot, she would fall back to the ground. The last time she tried, she found herself feeling lightheaded and passed out.

* * *

Shang sighed and turned her over so that she was lying on her back and pulled the sword away from her. He felt bad for yelling at her, but that was a weakness and she wasn't going to see that. Besides, if she knew he felt bad, then that would be letting her win.

"Get up." Shang snapped at the messenger who was still frozen in the same spot as before. "I said, GET UP!" The messenger responded this time and jumped to his feet. "Next time, I expect some help from you." The messenger said nothing; he just mounted his horse and waited to leave.

"What's wrong with her?" The messenger asked, seeming disgusted that they were going to be slowed down.

"She was wounded. If _you_ had not been frozen in fear, she would probably be fine." Shang answered, wondering why he was defending her. After all, he wasn't supposed to care... but did he?

"How are we going to move her?"

"I don't know."

* * *

Mulan woke a little while later. Her whole body ached, especially her injured leg and shoulder. It took her a minute to get her bearings, but when she did, she realized that she was lying on Khan's back on her stomach. Her arms were on either side of him and so were her legs. Shang and the messenger were in front of her, Shang leading Khan.

She tried to sit up, but found herself unable. She didn't want to stay lying like that, though. She also didn't want to ask for help, remembering her previous outburst. She didn't have to ask for help, though; Khan neighed and caught Shang's attention. Shang told the messenger to stop and he doubled back and moved her into a sitting position.

"I'm sorry, Shang." Mulan apologized for her outburst. Shang merely nodded and checked her bandages that he had applied after the bleeding stopped. Finding them satisfactory, he moved ahead of her and they continued.

"Ten more minutes until we reach the imperial city." Mulan heard the messenger say to Shang. To Mulan, they couldn't get there soon enough. She needed to get off Khan; the position her legs needed to be in to ride was very uncomfortable.

Just as the messenger said, about ten minutes later, they reached the gates of the imperial city. The palace was located at the center. It was about ten more minutes until they reached the gates of the palace. Here, they were met by two stable hands that took the three horses and put them up in the stable.

Mulan had to balance on one leg when she was waiting to be told where to go. She began to feel a little lightheaded again, but forced it away. When she was barely able to walk to the bottom of the steps, she knew that she wasn't going to be able to make it up the stairs. She clutched the railing and tried anyway, each time she had to step on her right foot, she leaned on the rail instead, however this didn't work out quite as well as planned because of her injured shoulder. She whimpered in pain and stopped walking.

Shang sighed, knowing that if he didn't help her, no one would. He took her around the waist and moved her away from the railing. He was on her left side and she leaned on him to lift her left foot. They slowly made it up the long stairway into the palace doors. The first room they encountered was a long hallway leading to the throne room where the Emperor was waiting for them.

The messenger went on ahead of them to inform the Emperor of their arrival. Mulan was able to walk down the hallway much faster than up the stairs. They arrived only a minute after the messenger.

Mulan was a little embarrassed at her torn clothing but she hoped the Emperor would understand. In fact, the first thing he did was order a medic to come to the throne room. Mulan was taken on a stretcher to the infirmary.

Her wounds were treated with an antiseptic, also known as alcohol, and bandaged again. They now hurt worse than before and the bleeding had started again because they had to be cleaned, which damaged the clots.

Mulan was taken back to the throne room where the Emperor and Shang were waiting. Concern flashed in Shang's eyes when he saw the blood seeping through the new bandages but the look disappeared quickly.

"Shang, I would like to speak to Mulan alone." The Emperor told him. "You will be shown to your room and I will summon you when I am ready for you to return." Shang rose and bowed then followed a servant to his room.

"Now," The Emperor turned to Mulan. "I'm sure you want to know why you're here." Mulan nodded slightly. "Of course. Well, as I'm sure you've noticed, Shang has changed. I believe that it is my fault, too. I promoted him to general, which I believe put more strain on him than he feels he can handle. However, because of his pride and honor, he will not speak of it."

"I asked him what was wrong, but he told me that it wasn't any of my business." Mulan confirmed. The Emperor saw the hurt flash through her eyes.

"Yes." He agreed. "I have tried to get him to take a break, but he refuses. I do not want to hurt him by ordering him to take a break; it may make him feel as though he is not good enough.

"But it is not just him I'm worried about. You see, since his change, the training of our troops has suffered. The men are no longer happy. While I believe that everyone has to do things they don't want to, he makes life miserable at the camp.

"I was forced to execute some very young men for deserting just last month. Right now, Shang is between camps. He gets a few days off and then he will return to duty. In fact, his next camp starts in two days.

"This is why you are here. Mulan, I want you to go to the camp. If anyone can get through to him, I know it will be you. He needs someone he can trust to be with him there. However, this is not something you have to do, so if you don't want to, I fully understand."

"Of course I will!" Mulan said immediately. Her response startled the Emperor.

"Are you sure?" The Emperor asked. "I think you should continue to think about it over night. It will take a day to get to the next camp, so if you choose to go, you will leave tomorrow afternoon."

"I am sure." Mulan answered. "But I will take your suggestion and think about it some more."

"Good." The Emperor said in approval. "We will now eat dinner and then I want you to go straight to bed. You need your rest to heal those wounds."

"Yes, your majesty." Mulan bowed.

"Go get Shang." The Emperor told one of the servants standing at the door. The man turned immediately and went to get Shang. Shang appeared in the room a few minutes later.

"We are going to eat dinner." The Emperor told him. Shang bowed and helped Mulan to her feet without thinking. He realized what he was doing and immediately let go of her. She was standing, but she was using him for balance and swayed a little before regaining her balance. The Emperor gave Shang a dissatisfied look.

Shang sighed slightly and allowed Mulan to take his arm for balance. They walked to the dining room, which contained a long, low table. They sat on cushions near the head of the table and their dinner was served to them. After dinner was over, tea was brought to them and they drank in silence.

"Shang," The Emperor said. "I would appreciate it if you would escort Mulan to her room. It is the one to the right of yours."

"Yes, sir." Shang stood and helped Mulan to her feet again. Both of them bowed and then they walked to Mulan's room, Shang supporting her again. Shang opened the door to Mulan's room and helped her inside.

"Here." Shang let go of her as she sat down on her bed.

"Thanks, Shang." Mulan said.

"Yeah, you're welcome." He answered.

"Good night." Mulan called to him as he left the room. He just nodded and closed the door. Mulan looked around and found that her bag of belongings was laying on her bed. This room was _much _nicer than the room at the inn. The floor was a rich wood and the bed was more than just a mat on the floor. It was still low, but it was very soft and had many pillows.

She also found a bathroom attached. It had a pitcher of water and a large dish under it. There was also a large tub for bathing and a toilet. Both rooms (the bathroom and bedroom) had lamps for light. Also, in her bedroom were several shelves of books. There was a small table and comfortable chair near a window. Next to the window was a door that led out to a balcony. Mulan hobbled into the bathroom to get ready for bed, leaning on the wall for support.

It took her a long time to fall asleep that night. She couldn't stop thinking about whether or not she wanted to go to the camp for sure. She would miss a long time with her family again and she had gotten back only about six months before. She decided that she had to help Shang, though. And soon after she made her decision, she fell asleep.

* * *

Mulan woke to a servant shaking her. She winced and smacked the servant's hand away from her right shoulder. Her wounds still ached, but it wasn't any worse than the day before.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" Mulan sat up, yawning.

"Here, you can wear this." The servant laid out a dress for Mulan.

"Um... thanks, but I'm going to be riding all day." Mulan replied. "I'll just wear something I have."

"Okay." The servant walked out of the room. Mulan got up from her bed and found that it was easier to walk than yesterday. She got dressed and went into her bathroom to wash her face. After she was ready, she went back and sat in the chair next to the window.

She could see the white horses in the pasture and with them was Khan. He was grazing happily. Mulan smiled seeing him. She couldn't imagine not having Khan with her. She started daydreaming about home and how she would sneak out when she was younger to ride Khan in a pasture. It wasn't something girls were supposed to do, so she always made sure she didn't get caught.

A knock on her door snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked to see Shang opening the door and peeking inside and turned back towards the window. Seeing she was dressed, he opened the door fully and crossed the room to where she was sitting. He followed her gaze out the window and also saw the horses.

Now, there was a young man trying to catch Khan to get him ready to go. Khan was putting up quite a fight, running around and stopping just long enough that the boy thought he had given in. Just as he went to put a halter over Khan's head, Khan would take off again. He pranced around, obviously amused.

Mulan giggle at the sight. That was her horse alright. Even Shang had to chuckle. After a little while longer of watching Khan make a fool out of the poor young man, Mulan decided that enough was enough. She got up from her chair and gingerly walked out to the balcony. She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, causing several servants to stop and stare at her in shock.

"HEY! KHAN!" His ears pricked up. "BEHAVE!" His head drooped and he seemed to sigh, his fun ruined. He obeyed, though, and turned to face the boy to allow himself to be 'captured'. Shang chuckled again but tried (and failed) to hide it.

Mulan turned and walked slowly back into her room. Shang was standing at the door. When their eyes met, the happiness left his and they were blank. Mulan averted her gaze to the floor.

"Why did you come here?" Mulan asked him.

"It is time for breakfast." Shang answered. "I was sent to escort you." Mulan nodded and they made their way to the same dining room as the night before. They were served breakfast.

"Have you made your decision?" The Emperor addressed Mulan.

"It is the same as last night." Mulan replied.

"Very good." The Emperor was pleased. "Before you go, I want your wounds looked at again. If they can be stitched, I want them stitched."

"Yes, sir." Mulan agreed.

"I also want you to take it easy." This time, his statement was directed at both of them.

"Yes, sir." They both answered. After they finished eating, Mulan and Shang went back to the infirmary so Mulan's wounds could be checked. Shang was asked to wait outside and Mulan's bandages were removed.

"Well, Mulan, they are looking good. There isn't much swelling so I will be able to stitch them up." The doctor said.

"Okay..." Mulan looked at him nervously; she wasn't awake to feel the stitches put in the last time, but she knew it would hurt. The doctor sterilized a needle over a flame and began stitching her leg first. Did it ever hurt! She gripped the sheets with her left hand and squeezed them as hard as she could to keep from screaming. Because the wounds were fairly small, it only took about seven stitches and he was finished with her leg.

"Are you okay?" The Doctor asked. Mulan could only nod; her jaw was clenches so tight that she wasn't able to speak. "Okay, I'm going to do your shoulder now." He stitched her shoulder and she was done. "Don't do anything strenuous." He told her. "If you do, those stitches could be pulled out and you'd have to have them stitched again."

"Okay," Mulan managed to get out. She put her clothes back on; they had to be removed so that the doctor could see her shoulder.

"Shang," the doctor went and opened the door. "You can come in now." Shang walked back into the room as Mulan stood up from the table she was on. He looked at her and she saw concern that he was trying to hide.

"We better get going." Shang said to Mulan. "The Emperor is waiting for us." Mulan limped out he door. Shang walked close to her in case she needed help.

The Emperor was waiting in the palace gardens. Their horses were ready to leave. There were several people standing with the Emperor. Some were his usual guards but two of them were not. Mulan and Shang approached the emperor and bowed.

"Shang, I want you to make sure that she is taken care of." The Emperor told him sternly. "And Mulan, before you go, I have a gift for you." The two other people who were with him stepped forward, carrying a large box. They held it out and the Emperor lifted the top. Inside, was a set of armor. It was similar to the one her father had, only this set was shaped for a woman.

"Wow! I don't know what to say!" Mulan seemed to glow. "I-well-" She took a deep breath, calming herself. "Thank you, your Excellency." She reached into the box and retrieved the armor and slipped it on; she was wearing the clothes she had worn during the first training camp.

"Good, it fits." The Emperor said, pleased. "Now, you two should be off." Shang and Mulan bowed once more to the Emperor and mounted their horses, Mulan with a little help from on of the servants. Shang took the lead and they galloped out of the palace grounds and out of the imperial city.

* * *

Is _that_ long enough for you?! I sure hope so! Jeez!! Don't forget to review and tell me what you think!


	5. Start the Training!

Thanks for the reviews everyone! Again, **alibi girl**: I did use spell check- the one on the computer. The thing is, if the word is spelled correctly, the spell checker won't catch it even if it's the wrong word. I need to go and read the chapters over myself, but I don't always have time. :(

I'm sorry if there are missing words. I read it myself this time and spell checked it. However, about halfway through, I tried to save and my computer froze. It was saved as a temporary file and I couldn't open it in my word processor. Instead, I had to open it in word pad and copy and paste it. It was really annoying because the paragraphs were messed up and words were missing. I tried to make it all right, but I may have missed some things, after all, I'm only human. (Yes, I admit it).

Disclaimer: still the same.

* * *

Last time:

"Good, it fits." The Emperor said, pleased. "Now, you two should be off." Shang and Mulan bowed once more to the Emperor and mounted their horses, Mulan with a little help from on of the servants. Shang took the lead and they galloped out of the palace grounds and out of the imperial city.

* * *

They traveled all day until the sun was directly overhead. Then, they stopped for lunch. They allowed their horses to roam a little to graze and to drink at a nearby pond. They didn't stop for long, though, because Shang needed to get back to get things ready. After about fifteen minutes, they mounted up again and continued down the path.

"Where are we?" Mulan asked. The forest was starting to look almost angry. It was darker because they were in a heavily wooded area. This meant that not much sunlight got to the forest floor to there were no plants growing there and many of the lower branches on the trees were dead. It had looked the same when they were ambushed. "Are we going back through the rebel territory?"

"Yes, but this time just on the edge." Shang answered. "We should be fine." Mulan was still a little nervous. Shang could sense it but refused to say anything. Soon the trees seemed to look normal again. Light was able to filter through and there were fern-type plants growing.

"Will Ling, Yao, and Chien-Po be there?" Mulan asked suddenly.

"No." Shang answered without and explanation. Mulan flinched at his sharpness but did not ask for a reason.

"Shang, I need a break." Mulan told him about a half-hour later. Her shoulder and leg were aching from the jolting of riding a horse. She could almost see the look at exasperation as he faced away from her. He stopped, though, and got off his horse to help her down.

"We can't stop for long." He said. This time, it wasn't snapped at her. In fact, it almost seemed gentle, like he was concerned for her. Mulan nodded in agreement and sat on the ground for a few minutes. The change of position did her some good and she was able to get back onto Khan by herself. They had only stopped for about five minutes.

After two more hours Mulan was finally recognizing her surroundings. They were going to the same camp that she had started at. She knew they were only about twenty minutes away and couldn't wait to get there. The soon came to the top of a hill overlooking the camp. There were only a few tents because the recruits were not to come until the next morning. The only ones that were up were Shang's, the cook's and the medic's tents. Mulan suddenly thought of something.

"Shang, I don't have a tent!"

"Don't worry about it." They rode down the hill and stopped if front of Shang's tent. He got off his horse and put his bag in his tent then he helped Mulan get off Khan. She reached up and detached her bag from the blanket. They then walked over to the cook's tent.

"Sung?" Shang opened the flap. Inside, they found a large man wearing an apron sleeping in a chair. "Wake up, Sung." Sung snapped awake and stood to greet the General. "Mulan is back. We would like some dinner." The cook bowed and walked out to the back to the tent to begin making rice.

"Umm... about my tent-"

"I said, don't worry about it." Shang snapped. "I want your stitches checked." They then walked over to the medic's tent. He was also sitting in a chair, only he was reading a book instead of sleeping.

"Welcome back, General." The medic stood and bowed.

"Hello, Deng." Shang replied. "Mulan has two wounds from arrows. One is on her right calf muscle and the other on her right shoulder. They were stitched this morning but we had to ride here from the imperial palace so I want them checked."

"Yes, sir." Deng complied and bowed. "I must ask you to step out of the tent." Shang nodded and exited the tent. "Mulan," he bowed. After having Mulan remove her armor and shirt, the medic removed bandages and examined the stitches on her shoulder.

"They're not going to have to be redone, are they?" Mulan asked nervously.

"Nope, not these. I am more worried about the ones on your leg, however." He reached down and gently pulled up the pant leg. After removing the bandages there he got a concerned look on his face. Mulan knew they would have to be replaced, but she wanted to ask to make sure.

"What about those?"

"I'm afraid that the straining of your leg muscle while riding has pulled half of them out. You didn't feel this, of course, so you couldn't tell. I'll have to remove the other half and redo them all."

"Okay..."

"Don't worry, taking them out won't hurt, it'll only feel like I'm tugging at your leg. It will feel a little odd, though." Deng told her. She nodded a little and he grabbed an object that resembled tweezers. After the other half of stitches were taken out, he went to get a needle.

Mulan was starting to feel lightheaded. She tried to push it away, but it wouldn't work. The sight of the needle caused her to go extremely pale. She looked away as the doctor began stitching her wound. She whined in pain, but managed not to scream. Her jaw was clenched again and her eyes were shut tight, causing tears to form in the corners.

"Okay, I'm done." Deng said. Mulan opened her eyes slowly and looked up at him. She was still extremely pale and looked as though she was going to pass out at any second. "I'll go get Shang." Mulan put her shirt back on with shaking hands and pulled her pant leg down over the bandage.

"Is she okay?" Shang burst into the tent, followed closely by Deng who was trying to keep him from going in right away. When he saw that Mulan was dressed, however, he relaxed a little.

"I don't feel good." Mulan whispered, afraid to open her mouth.

"I think you should lay down." Deng told her. "Does she have a tent?" Mulan was about to tell him no when Shang spoke.

"Yes," Shang answered.

"Good, I'll take her there." Deng answered. He lifted Mulan off the table and followed Shang to her tent, which was right next to Shang's. He laid Mulan down on the mat and covered her with a blanket.

"How long do I have to stay here?" Mulan asked.

"I'll come check on you later." Deng answered. "Get some sleep to help heal those wounds." Mulan nodded and closed her eyes. She was feeling a little tired and decided that a little extra sleep couldn't hurt.

* * *

Shang was setting up the camp. He got together some of the sticks they used (it's called a bo). He also got some bows and arrows. As well as the wooden buckets and filled the bags that they carried over their shoulders with sand. Each time he finished with one chore, he found himself wandering towards Mulan's tent. He would almost look in but caught himself and found something else to do. By the time Sung, the cook, had gotten dinner ready, Shang had worn a small path leading almost to the entrance to Mulan's tent.

"Shang, Mulan's fine." Deng told him. He had just gone in and checked on Mulan and Shang was approaching the tent yet again. "Stop worrying."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Shang snapped. He knew the doctor was right. He wiped the look of concern off his face. The doctor smiled sadly at him and went back to his tent.

"Stupid doctor." Shang muttered to himself. "Why would I worry about her?" Little did he know, Mulan was awake and could hear him from inside her tent. She was confused; if he wasn't worried, then why did he keep coming to her tent? She soon heard Sung tell Shang that dinner was ready.

"Mulan?" Shang peeked his head into the tent. His eyes were cold. "Dinner is ready." She nodded and managed to push herself into a sitting position. Shang reluctantly offered her his hand and he pulled her to her feet. (The tent was big enough that even he was able to stand upright).

They slowly made their way to the cook's tent where there was a table set up for eating. They sat down and ate a large meal. There was, of course, the white rice. Along with it, there was a chicken dish and a beef dish. Sung had made extra to heat again for the next day. When the meal was finished, Mulan was told to go back to sleep. Shang took her back to her tent.

"I want to write to my parents." Mulan said to him. "So they know where I am." Shang nodded but didn't say anything. He left her in her tent, wondering if he cared. Although she wasn't very tired, she knew that she couldn't get up. She laid there thinking about her parents for a while and fell asleep.

* * *

Shang, too, went to bed after taking Mulan to her tent.

In his mind, he ran over all the training sessions for the new soldiers. He knew them all by heart, but he didn't start with shooting the arrow into the pole. He still didn't know what he wanted to do instead, but he didn't want to do that; it wasn't challenging enough. He'd have to come up with something quickly. He soon found himself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Mulan woke up before the sun was rising. She rolled over to try to go back to sleep, but found that she couldn't. She sighed and sat up. Her shoulder didn't hurt nearly as much as the day before. Her leg still hurt a lot, though. She reached over to get her shoes and found a stick with a note on it. It read:

_

> > Mulan,
>>
>>> I know you aren't going to stay in bed. Please use this if you must walk around without help. I think your shoulder should be able to take the strain. I'll check your stitches again, too. Take it easy

_

-Deng

Mulan smiled and pulled herself to her feet. The stick branched off at the top and her armpit fit perfectly there. She leaned on the stick every time she needed to put weight on her right foot. It worked out great! She was excited because she wouldn't have to rely on Shang to get anywhere now! Not that she really minded, but she knew that he did.

Mulan walked out of her tent to find Khan. She hadn't seen him since the day before and she didn't know where he was. She found him easily, though. Since the last time she had been here, they had built a corral for the horses brought by soldiers. Khan and Shang's stallion were both in the corral.

Khan noticed her and trotted over, hoping for some extra food. He was disappointed when Mulan merely reached out to pat his forehead. His ears drooped slightly as did his head. Mulan noticed.

"Now Khan," she lectured him. "It wouldn't be fair to the other horses if you got more food than they did." He seemed to sigh and turned back to the center of the field to graze some more.

Mulan suddenly heard yelling coming from the camp. It was Shang yelling at the medic because Mulan was missing. He wouldn't let Deng explain the stick. Mulan decided to walk back to the camp to rescue the doctor from Shang's wrath. Shang had Deng by his collar and was about to lift him off the ground when Mulan walked up behind Deng.

"Shang!" Mulan exclaimed. "Put him down!" He did so immediately.

"Mulan! Where have you been?!" Shang demanded and moved towards her. She slowly backed up; she hadn't expected him to be angry with her.

"I was visiting Khan." Mulan answered. "Deng gave me this walking stick, so it's fine. He was trying to tell you, but you wouldn't let him!"

"Oh... Uhh... okay." Shang answered. "Time for breakfast, then." He turned towards Sung's tent with out an apology to Deng. Deng sighed and fixed his color before following Shang to the tent.

"I'm sorry, Deng." Mulan said, walking with him. "I should have told someone where I was or left a note of something."

"It's okay, Mulan. It's not your fault he's like that." Deng smiled at her. Mulan nodded and they entered the cook's tent.

Just as they finished eating breakfast, the new recruits started arriving. They were as rambunctious as the ones Mulan had started with. Many of them were only about seventeen years old. Some were older, though, and they were calmly talking. The younger ones were busy bragging about how accurate they could shoot already and such things. There were, however, no catastrophes like the one Mulan had caused.

"Recruits!" Shang bellowed over all the noise. All activity stopped and everyone turned to their General. "Form your line!" They complied and Shang introduced himself, Deng, Sung, and finally, Mulan. After each person he introduced, the recruits bowed. When it came to Mulan, though, only half of them bowed. She guessed her story didn't reach all of the small villages so not all knew who she was. Shang didn't notice that not all had bowed.

"The first order of business will be for you to all set up your tents." Shang glared at them all. "How many of you did not bring tents?" No one stepped forward. "Good. No one will be sleeping out in the cold. You have ten minutes. If any of you are late, you will not eat tonight. Dismissed." The recruits ran off to set up their tents.

Mulan was shocked that Shang would not let a man eat dinner for not setting up his tent in ten minutes. She didn't feel that it was part of training to set up a tent. However, she didn't say anything to him about it.

Shang asked, or rather ordered the medic to take a look at Mulan's stitches again. Mulan followed Deng to the medic tent to allow her wounds to be checked. Her stitches were still in place and her shoulder was healing quickly. Her leg was another matter, though; Deng suspected an infection. Her leg was swelling a little and the skin around the would was not the normal color.

"What happens if it's infected?" Mulan asked.

"Well, I have antibiotics to give you. They should work, but it may take a few days to get the infection under control. I will give them to you because I want to catch the infection before it gets worse."

"Okay. What happens if it gets worse?" Mulan asked hesitantly.

"I'd rather not think about that right now." Deng answered. "Don't worry, though. We have caught it in the earliest stages. In a few days the swelling should be gone and you shouldn't have any problems."

"I hope so." Mulan answered. The antibiotic was to be taken with tea. It would dissolve in the liquid and she would, of course, drink it. She would need to do this two times a day for three days. Then Deng would check her wound again.

The days went by slowly for Mulan. She couldn't help with the training yet because she wasn't able to move fast enough. Shang rarely talked to her because he was too busy training the recruits. If he did find time for her, it was only to make sure that Deng was treating her wounds correctly or to ask her to get water for the troops. The three days finally passed and Deng examined her leg again.

"Well, I believe the infection is gone." Deng told her. "I don't see any swelling left and the skin around the would is a good color."

"That's good." Mulan answered. How long do you think until the stitches can come out?"

"Well, I was going to remove the ones in your shoulder today." Deng replied. "The ones in your leg, however, will have to stay in longer." He reached over for his pair of tweezers. Beginning at one end of the stitches on her shoulder, he gently tugged them out. They came out easily and painlessly.

"There," Deng put the tweezers back. "All done. Be careful, though. Your shoulder is still tender."

"I will!" Mulan was so excited that she would be able to do archery now. And that's what they were about to start! She stood up from the table in the medic's tent and put her shirt back on. She didn't need the crutch anymore, so she walked out to find Shang. She was sure he would be happy that her stitches were out.

"Shang?" Mulan searched for him. They weren't in the camp so she went to the archery range. She found them here, starting to shoot at tomatoes onto targets on the trees, like she had done. None were succeeding. One soldier managed to hit a tomato, but it didn't hit the tree.

"What are you doing here, Mulan?" Shang asked harshly.

"I got my stitches in my shoulder taken out." She told him, unfazed by his harshness.

"That's good." Shang replied distractedly. She was a little hurt, but she understood that he had to train the new soldiers. She sighed and turned to walk back to the camp. It would be dinnertime soon and she figured that Sung would want some help making food for all the soldiers.

She took two steps and turned back around. Unnoticed by the soldiers, she picked up an extra bow and five arrows. She put five tomatoes on the board and hit the other end with her foot, sending them flying into the air. Mulan quickly took aim and shot all five tomatoes onto the targets on the tree. The recruits all stopped dead and stared down the line at her. All wanted to see who had succeeded.

"Mulan!" Shang yelled at her. "This is no time to be showing off!" She took a step back as he marched towards her. "I don't need distractions! Go back to the camp!" Mulan threw the bow at him and he managed to catch it. She turned and walked as fast as she could with her injury back to the camp.

Instead of going to help Sung with the cooking, she went to her tent instead and threw herself onto her bed. She couldn't believe Shang had yelled at her in front of all the soldiers! Her intention was not to show off; she didn't know how he had thought that! Tears formed in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She would not cry because of something Shang said; it would be weak.

* * *

On no! Is Mulan starting to think like Shang?! That would be really bad, wouldn't it? Please review!


	6. Trouble in the Village

Hi everyone! Sorry about the wait, but I was on vacation. I'm back now, so here's another chapter.

Disclaimer: not mine.

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Last time:

Instead of going to help Sung with the cooking, she went to her tent instead and threw herself onto her bed. She couldn't believe Shang had yelled at her in front of all the soldiers! Her intention was not to show off; she didn't know how he had thought that! Tears formed in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She would not cry because of something Shang said; it would be weak.

* * *

Three weeks had passed. Mulan had barely spoken to Shang and it was the same for him. Needless to say, Shang hadn't gotten any nicer. Mulan's leg had finally healed, though, and her stitches were to be removed. She was so relieved that she would no longer need the cane!

She went to Deng's tent in the morning. The stitches came out easily but she had not expected a very noticeable scar! It was awful looking! There was only a small scar on her shoulder and one that was a little more noticeable on her side from her previous wound.

"It seems that your infection damaged the tissue." Deng informed her. "I had hoped that this wouldn't happen because we had caught it so early, but I was wrong." All Mulan could do was stare at the hideous scar on her lower leg. She wanted to cry.

'Men won't want women with scars!' Mulan thought. 'Shang would understand, though.' She startled herself with that thought. 'Why am I caring about what Shang would think? He doesn't care about me!' Her thoughts were cut off by Deng.

"You are free to go, Mulan." He said to her. "I'm terribly sorry about the scar."

"There's nothing you can do?" Mulan finally spoke.

"No," Deng answered sadly. Then, hesitantly, he continued, "However, there is a woman in the small village who may be able to help you but-"

"Really?" Mulan cut him off. She knew where the village was, but not what it was like. Before the medic had a chance to tell her not to go, she had jumped off the table and ran out of the tent. He tried to give chase, but she had already taken Khan and was riding down the path towards the village.

"Mulan! Come back!" Deng yelled after her but she didn't hear him. Shang walked by at that moment, staring down the path after Mulan. He had given the exhausted recruits a morning break and was heading to his tent.

"Shang!" Deng cried, rushing over to block his path. "You have to go after Mulan! She's going to the village!" Shang's eyes gazed at Deng, unconcerned.

"Why? She can take care of herself." Shang replied coldly.

"No, Shang, she can't," Deng retorted. Shang glanced again down the path. "She just had her stitches removed. She also hasn't trained in anything since she herself was in the army! She's been too afraid of you!" Shang still didn't move to go after her. However, Deng's words stung. "Shang, if you don't go after her, she's going to need much more than a couple of stitches!" When Shang looked at Deng, Deng could see concern wanting to get out.

"I can't leave the recruits."

"Yes, you can! I'll lead them in meditation! _Just go!_" Deng urged him, pushing Shang towards the horses. Shang finally gave in. He pushed his pride away and dashed to his horse. Not even bothering with tack, he jumped on and rode bareback down the same path Mulan had taken.

* * *

Mulan pulled Khan out of his cantor to a walk as she neared the village. She had entered the forest and the trees blocked out much of the sunlight, making the village appear quite dark even though it was morning. The darkness made the village seem very unwelcoming. There didn't seem to be many people here. Many of the buildings were very run down. The few people Mulan did see were not very friendly looking.

As she made her way through the town, she could not find a building that looked like one a sorceress would have a shop in. She did find what seemed like a bar and decided to ask for directions. Khan didn't seem to want to stop but Mulan made him turn into the gate. She dismounted and tied him to a post next to a rather underweight roan horse. Mulan cautiously entered the bar. There were many men sitting at low tables. They looked at her with surprise as she walked past.

"Excuse me," She said to the owner. "Do you know where I can find a sorceress?" The man looked at her, shocked that a woman would be so bold. There was a slightly evil look about him. She ignored a feeling that she should turn and run.

"Yes," His voice was gravely. "Follow me." He led her through a door to the back of the bar. The room smelled heavily of incense and the air seemed to be filled with a light haze, presumably from burning a lot of the incense.

"Sei!" The man barked. A tiny old woman was seated at a table, looking very grouchy. "You have visitor." He turned and walked from the room. The woman stood from her spot and walked around the table to see Mulan better.

"So, what do you want?" She asked, her voice raspy and angry.

"Umm..." Mulan's feeling to run was even stronger, but still she ignored it; she really wanted to make her scar go away. "I have a scar-"

"Ah, yes. You want it to disappear." Sei said, cutting Mulan off in the same angry tone. "Well, I have many things that could help you." She moved away to a shelf. Mulan watched her and was thinking about how her attitude was like that of the matchmaker. She pulled down several bottles and put them on her table then went back for more.

"Reach that one for me." She ordered Mulan. Mulan reached up to get the bottle. She almost wasn't able to reach it. As she stood on her tiptoes and grasped the bottle, she had gripped the shelf in front of her for balance. This was a very bad idea. Just as she lifted her target off its shelf, the one she was holding on to collapsed, sending all the bottles crashing to the floor.

"Get out of my shop!" She woman screeched at Mulan.

"But I wanted-"

"I said, get out!!" Mulan didn't need to be told a third time, she just ran back through the bar and out the door. As she went through the door, one of the med stood from his table and followed her. Mulan stopped where Khan was tied and reached for the rope. As she did, a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Not so fast!" A male voice said, very close to her ear. "Just where do you think you're going so quickly?" Mulan didn't answer, she just tried to pull her wrist from his grasp. He suddenly got angry. With his free hand, he slapped her across the face.

"Answer when a man talks to you!" She still did not answer. Before he knew what his him, she raised her knee and hit his squarely between the legs. He immediately released her wrist and fell to the ground.

Three more men came out of the bar just in time to see their friend hit the ground. They looked from him to Mulan and they knew exactly what had happened. All three rushed towards her at the same time. She didn't even have time to react.

The largest of the three tackled her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. She felt like she was being crushed. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. As she gasped for air, she freed her arm and tried using the heel of her hand to his him in the nose, but he blocked the blow and held her arm tighter, cutting off the circulation.

"Leave her alone!" Relief swept through Mulan's body; it was Shang! The large man lifted his weight off her, allowing Mulan to catch her breath. While the men were larger than she was, none were bigger than Shang was. He was quite intimidating in his armor and the three seemed to hesitate on whether to fight or run away. Suddenly, one turned and ran back into the bar. The other two quickly followed their friend.

Mulan picked herself up off the ground, her back to Khan and her first attacker. Shang walked over to help her after putting his sword back into its scabbard. She looked into his eyes and, to her surprise, saw worry evident in them.

"Are you okay?" Shang asked, grasping her by the shoulders. She felt weak as the adrenaline wore off. He scanned her for injuries and suddenly pulled her towards him. In the same motion, he yanked out his sword again and slashed out against the first man. The swipe caught him in the arm and he decided that he also would go back into the bar.

"Why did you come, Shang?" Mulan asked. Shang didn't answer her question, though.

"What are you doing here?!" Shang yelled, but this time, his voice was full of concern. "Didn't you realize what the people are like here?"

"I'm sorry, Shang." Mulan looked down, refusing, again, to cry because of him. "I just... never mind." She didn't want to tell him why she was here. She figured he'd tell her that it was a really stupid reason.

"Let's get back to camp." Shang said. "You're going to start training again."

* * *

Short again, I know! But, a short update is better than no update at all..... right? Please don't hurt me.


	7. Rescue

Yay! Reviews! I'm glad no one chose to hurt me! lol.

Disclaimer: same.

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Last time:

"I'm sorry, Shang." Mulan looked down, refusing, again, to cry because of him. "I just... never mind." She didn't want to tell him why she was here. She figured he'd tell her that it was a really stupid reason.

"Let's get back to camp." Shang said. "You're going to start training again."

* * *

The ride back to camp was a short one as the camp was nearby. When they got there, Deng was waiting anxiously. As soon as he saw them trotting up the path, he ran towards Mulan. He barely gave her a chance to halt her horse before pulling her off Khan to go to the medic tent.

"But, Deng! I'm fine!" Mulan insisted.

"I'm just going to make sure!" Deng answered.

"No! I'm going to start training again!"

"She's fine, Deng." Shang said quietly. "I'm going to have her start training again because of this. I want her to start today." Mulan was still trying to pull away from Deng to follow Shang. Deng sighed, finally complying, and released her.

"Let's go, Mulan." Shang snapped, suddenly reverting to being cold. Mulan was confused again. He had been so nice before; why did this happen again? Perhaps it was because he thought that the recruits would need to see a strong general...

Mulan followed Shang to where the recruits were sitting. By the looks of it, Deng had tried to get them to meditate, but not many were able to manage it. Only the few adults who had been doing this for a long time were successful. As soon as they saw Shang, they jumped to attention, forming the line.

"Due to an incident this morning, Mulan will now be training with us." Shang glared at the recruits. "Her rank is higher than yours so I expect no disrespect. Is that understood?" 'Yes sirs' were heard from the recruits. "Good." Shang turned and began walking towards the river. The recruits followed obediently.

Mulan walked next to Shang, wondering if they were to be doing the exercise where they went across the river by jumping from pole to pole. She was correct as Shang began instructing the recruits on how to manage the exercise. She wondered to herself why they hadn't done this one yet. She didn't get a chance to ask her question, though, because Shang volunteered her to demonstrate.

"Go on, Mulan." Shang snapped at her. "Since you chose not to pay attention, show us the exercise." His words hurt her, but she pushed it away. She walked up to the edge of the river and jumped to the first pole. Keeping her balance with her arms, she made it across the river to the other side. Then, she turned around and came back.

"General?" Mulan looked at him, wondering what to do next. He merely nodded at her.

"Mulan made it look easy, however this is not so." Shang addressed the soldiers. He pointed to one. "You, go first. The rest follow, keeping two poles between you at all times. Wait on the other side." He gave a sharp nod to the young man he chose to go first. He started across the poles, swaying while trying to balance. The next man went when the first had reached the third pole. The rest followed-suit. Five had made it across when one fell into the river below.

"You!" Shang yelled to those on the other side of the river. "Help your fellow soldier!" The men took off at a run following him down the river. "Mulan, go make sure he gets out." Mulan nodded and chased after the man on her side of the river.

While the other soldiers ran along the bank, they had no idea how to reach him. They had no rope to pull him out and none were willing to jump in. Mulan, however, had an idea. There were trees along the bank that were similar to weeping willows; their branches were like vines. Mulan grabbed a bunch, knowing that just one wouldn't hold him. She twisted them together as she ran, tying a knot at each end.

Suddenly, she realized that she was not going to be able to pull him out herself. She needed to get to the other side of the river. Mulan looked frantically for a way to get to the other side of the river. There was no way that she could see! Mulan picked up her running pace and managed to get ahead of the man in the water. Suddenly, she came upon a log that had fallen across the river at a narrow point.

Mulan ran, carefully, out to the middle. It was a large log, so she had no problem balancing. There was no time to get all the way across; if she didn't catch him, they'd lose him. She knelt down on the log as she was tying two knots in her make-shift rope to form a loop at each end. Mulan put one loop around her stomach then turned to watch for the man. Just as he passed under her log, she flung the rope at him. It hit him and he managed to catch it.

"Put the loop around your chest!" Mulan yelled at him and she didn't wait for his reply. Suddenly, she found herself slipping off the log. Mulan quickly grabbed on to the log with both hands and dug her feet in, but the log was damp and she was losing her grip! The current was pulling on the man in the water really hard and the rope around Mulan's stomach was starting to hurt her. All of a sudden, Mulan lost her footing on the log and started sliding down, landing on her stomach. She tried to reach up around the log for a better grip, but she only slid down more! She squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to hold on tighter, hoping for help but it never seemed to come. Just as she was about to slip into the river, two hands grabbed her wrists!

"We've got you, Mulan!" She opened her eyes to see Shang looking back at her. The other men grabbed the rope and cut it from around her stomach. They pulled the man out of the water at the river bank. Shang lifted Mulan onto the log and walked behind her to the river bank.

"Get him back to camp!" Shang snapped at the recruits, gesturing to the man that was in the water. Shang then rounded on Mulan. "I thought I told you to make sure he got out of the water!" Mulan was suddenly confused. She opened her mouth to reply but before she could, Shang continued. "This meant that the other troops were to do the rescuing!" Mulan winced, then looked up and glared at him.

"Yes, Shang, but-"

"No, Mulan!" Shang snapped, cutting her off. "You did not do as I asked! Now get back to camp! We are still having an evening session!" Mulan turned and walked quickly back to camp, her head down to hide the tears that had formed (but did not fall). It was time for dinner and then they would have a session after that.

Before going to dinner with the rest of the people, she went back to her tent to clean up. She splashed her face with a little water after forcing the tears away. Mulan walked silently out of her tent. Shang was also coming out of his tent.

Their eyes locked.

Shang's went from concerned to cold so fast that Mulan thought she was imagining it. Her shoulders slumped slightly and she lowered her eyes. Sighing, she turned and walked in the opposite direction. She could feel Shang's cold eyes burning into her back the whole time.

Instead of going to dinner at all, Mulan walked towards the horse pasture. There were many horses, but Khan seemed to have taken charge, even over Shang's stallion. The other horses seemed to scurry out of his way as he approached at Mulan's call. Mulan stepped up onto the bottom pole of the fence, making herself only a little taller. She reached up and played idly with Khan's forelock.

He stood there, calmly, his gentle eyes staring into hers. He seemed to be waiting for her to speak. He could sense that there was something wrong. Mulan sighed and climbed up so she was sitting on the top pole of the fence. She leaned forward against Khan's warm neck, taking comfort in the heat. Khan reached his head around her, seeming to give her a hug. He rubbed his broad cheek on her back.

"Why does he have to be like that, Khan?" Mulan spoke quietly into his neck. "I know he's stressed by his job, but why does he take it out on me?" She sighed again and sat up straight. Khan moved so he was facing her and tossed his head several times, hitting her playfully in the stomach.

"Khan!" Mulan giggled, pushing his head away, only to have him turn back and do it again. "I guess I should go to dinner." Mulan swung her feet over the fence and landed outside the corral. "See you later, Khan." She rubbed his forehead and turned to walk back to the cook's tent.

She got there just as many men were finishing up. There wasn't much time for her to eat, so she just got a bowl of rice and a small amount of chicken and ate quickly. The whole time she was eating, she could feel Shang's eyes on her. She would look up and he would look away quickly.

As soon as Mulan finished eating, the troops all stood from the table and walked outside to form their line. There was one empty space where the man who fell in the river should stand. Shang soon came to stand in front of the line and began explaining the training exercise.

* * *

Okay, I know this update took _forever _but as some of you know, I was having computer problems and I couldn't update. My computer is now fixed and that shouldn't happen again! Hope you liked it!


	8. Training Fun

I'm glad people finally reviewed! I was starting to get a little worried that no one was reading anymore!

Disclaimer: not mine.

* * *

Last time:

As soon as Mulan finished eating, the troops all stood from the table and walked outside to form their line. There was one empty space where the man who fell in the river should stand. Shang soon came to stand in front of the line and began explaining the training exercise.

* * *

"We have a new training exercise tonight." Shang looked sharply down the line as the troops began to murmur amongst themselves. They all quickly fell silent. "You will each receive a sling shot and a bag of berries. There will be five berries in each bag. When you hit someone else, they are considered 'dead' and you may take what is left in their bag of berries as well as their sling shot. The last person still 'alive' will have the day off tomorrow."

'This should be interesting.' Mulan thought. She looked out of the corner of her eye down the line. The young men seemed excited at the idea of a day off. She could tell some were already plotting a strategy.

"There are a few more rules," Shang continued. "There will be no trickery in this camp! Also, you are not to form any teams, alliances, or the like. Are there any questions?" No one stepped forward. "Good. Sung! Bring me the bag!" Sung walked over to Shang from his tent. He was carrying two bags. Each recruit was given a bag of berries and a sling-shot.

"This exercise will last until dawn unless there is only one person standing before then. If there is a tie, no one will get the day off, after all, that means that you did not win. Also, you must wait five minutes before you are able to fire on anyone. I will light a flare to tell you when to attack. If you are hit, there will be a fire near the cook's tent. You will come there so I can see how many others are left, then you may turn in for the night." Shang looked across the line. "Now go!"

The troops scurried off, each trying to get away from the others. Mulan ran straight to the horses. There were trees nearby and she needed to use the dense foliage as camouflage because her clothes were cream-colored. She quickly jumped into the tree and pulled herself high into the branches.

Mulan found a small hole in the foliage and looked for the flare that told her that she could begin shooting. As soon as she saw it, she began looking for the somewhat clumsy men that were her targets.

A full five minutes passed before she even saw one person. He was across the horse corral, trying to stay in the shadows of the tents. He was doing a pretty good job of it and the other recruits probably wouldn't have noticed him. However, Mulan had trained before and knew what to look for.

Mulan carefully extracted a berry from her little bag and put it in the sling-shot. She pulled it back as far as it would go and took aim. The man was moving so it was a little harder to make sure that she would hit him. Suddenly, he stopped moving. Mulan released the berry. It sailed over the sleepy horses' heads and nailed its target square in the forehead!

"Yesss!" Mulan hissed and scrambled down from the tree to collect the man's berries and sling shot. He shook his head when he saw that it was a woman who had hit him. He nodded in her direction as she approached cautiously. He handed his weapon and ammunition over silently and disappeared back into the camp.

Mulan jumped into the shadow of the test she was standing next to. She crouched low and looked for a safe way back to her tree. She could see someone else walking among the horses. She couldn't see who it was, but she knew that he would make it difficult to get back to her hiding spot.

Knowing her light colored clothing would give her away easily, Mulan slowly made her way back to her tent. She constantly glanced around her, walking as softly as she could. When she was sure no one could see her, she dashed across the isle way and into her tent.

Mulan dug through her back for something black. She came across an old training suit and changed her clothes. She moved silently to the flap at the entrance of the tent. Mulan moved it aside slightly and leaned forward just a little to see if there was anyone around. She didn't see anyone so she crept out of the tent.

Mulan made sure to keep to the shadows, out of the moonlight. Constantly, she looked for anyone that may be ready to shoot at her. When she got to the end of the row of tents, she heard footsteps. There was someone coming from the other side of the tent! She knew that they were unaware of her presence because they had not stopped like she had.

She crouched low, her sling-shot ready. As the person rounded the corner, Mulan look at quick glance to make sure he had a sling shot. As soon as she saw one, she fired her berry, hitting the man in the shoulder. He looked around, surprised before spotting him in the shadows. He bowed slightly and handed her his sling-shot and little bag before continuing on his way, this time back to the fire to be checked in.

Mulan glanced around her to see if she had drawn any attention to herself. Seeing no one, she made a dash for a tree on the near of the horse pasture. Mulan noticed that the horses were uneasy which meant that there was someone in the pasture. In the moonlight, she could see that Khan's ears were pointed back (but not pinned) and several other horses' ears were pointing in the same direction. This told her that the man hiding there was in that direction.

"Khan!" Mulan hissed. His ears moved so that they were pointing at her. He slowly walked in her direction. Mulan crawled under the lower fence pole and glanced through the horses' legs, trying to find the man in the pasture. She could see his feet. His toes were pointing in the other direction and he seemed to ignore the Khan's movement.

Khan stood next to Mulan, hiding her with his body. Mulan took a step forward and Khan did the same. As they walked slowly towards the man, Mulan matched her footsteps with Khan's front hooves so that the man wouldn't hear her walking. As she walked, she readied her sling-shot. She peeked over Khan's back to see where the man was. Suddenly, he looked in her direction!

Mulan ducked, but it was too late! He had seen her! She heard a berry hit the ground near her feet and she started running. Khan trotted along next to her, still acting as her shield. Suddenly, the man appeared in front of her. Mulan stopped and put pressure on Khan's loin, causing him to move his rear end around so he was between the man and herself. She stood at Khan's head so his front legs would not allow the man to shoot at her legs.

Suddenly, the man realized that he was completely out in the open. Mulan realized this, too and leaned around Khan's neck with her sling-shot. Before shooting the berry, she grabbed another out of her bag. The one she held in her hand, she threw up into the air. The man watched that one! Mulan took her chance and shot him in the chest.

The man was startled and he looked down, realizing that he had fallen for an easy trick. He rolled his eyes at himself and handed over his weapon and little bag. Mulan watched him walk away and then turned to Khan who was still standing next to her.

"Thanks, Khan." Mulan patted his shoulder. He whinnied softly and bumped her with his muzzle. She rubbed his forehead and began to walk back towards her tree. Suddenly, he whinnied again and knocked her forward with his muzzle. Just as he did, a berry came whizzing by her head. Another promptly flew in front of her. Mulan fumbled for her sling shot as she ran for cover, again using Khan as a shield. As she tried to figure out where the berries were coming from, another flew over Khan's head.

"Someone's aim is a little off…" Mulan muttered. She peeked over Khan's back and saw a black silhouette near a tent. Unfortunately for them, there was a light on in a tent nearby and the glow allowed Mulan to see him. Once again, she got her sling-shot ready. She placed the end on Khan's back to stabilize it and aimed at the person who seemed to be having trouble fishing out another berry. She pulled back and released the berry. She couldn't tell where it hit, only that it did hit him.

He walked out into the pasture, jumping the fence. Mulan stepped in front of Khan and took the man's sling-shot and berries. He turned and walked away with out saying anything to her. Mulan turned back to Khan and rubbed his muzzle. He followed her to the other side of the pasture where she jumped the fence and walked to her tree. She climbed up to the branch she had been sitting on before and waited for someone else to come.

As she sat there, she began to feel a little sleepy. Her eyelids drooped and she found herself nodding off. She tried really hard to stay awake, but to no avail. Soon, she was sleeping, leaning on the thick tree trunk. The branch she was on was large and she didn't move much in her sleep.

* * *

"Mulan!!" A male voice called. "Mulan! Where are you?" It was now morning and Mulan was still sleeping in the tree. She snapped awake, almost loosing her balance on the branch. Mulan saw that the sun was just beginning to rise.

"Mulan?" The voice called again. This time, she noticed that it belonged to Shang. She could see him walking towards her tree. He looked worried.

'Why would he be worried about me?' Mulan wondered and she began to climb down from the tree. When she got to the lowest branch, she jumped and landed softly on the ground.

"Mulan!" Shang ran over to her. "Where have you been?!" He looked her over, as though looking for injuries. He still looked worried.

"I was in that tree…" Mulan said. "I guess I fell asleep there last night."

"Are you okay?" Shang asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." She answered.

"Good." Shang replied. "Breakfast will be ready soon." He turned with out saying anything else and walked away.

* * *

I hope no one found this boring! It was pretty fun to write! Don't worry; there will be more Mulan/Shang interaction in the near future!!


	9. Deja Vu

_Wow! Lots of people reviewed right away! I'm glad you all liked the training thing! Don't worry about romance! I have almost everything planned out...sorta. I hope everyone understands the scene changes in this chapter… I'll explain more at the end for those who didn't. Okay, on with this chapter!!_

_Disclaimer: not mine._

* * *

Last time:

"Are you okay?" Shang asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." She answered.

"Good." Shang replied. "Breakfast will be ready soon." He turned with out saying anything else and walked away.

* * *

Mulan sighed and walked silently behind him. As they passed their tents, Mulan entered hers and changed into a different training outfit. When she exited her tent, she was surprised to find Shang waiting for her. She had thought that he would have continued without her.

As soon as he saw her, he turned and continued towards the cook's tent. The rest of the troops had assembled and were in the process of eating breakfast. They followed-through with their morning ritual of lining up after breakfast. All were anxious to find out the results of the night's training 'game'. Shang did not disappoint them.

"I suppose you all want to know who won last night?"

"Yes, sir!" They answered together. One recruit was looking particularly smug.

"Unfortunately," Shang stared in his direction. "There was a tie." The man's face fell. "There were two players left at dawn. I will not say who because I do not want any anger directed at them." He nodded slightly at Mulan; she returned with a small smile. Neither of them thought that anyone noticed the exchange. However, someone did. The man who thought he had won. It angered him that a woman took away his victory, even if the reward was just one day off. She was just a woman and she should not be here in the first place.

"You all have five minutes to get to the archery range. That will be our morning session." Shang told all the recruits. The troops walked off, some to their tents, but most went right to the archery range to get the better bows. Mulan followed behind and grabbed a bow and a couple arrows. Shang soon arrived at the archery range and began the session

**Three Months Later**

Mulan woke up freezing. She reached blindly for her blanket but instead, her hand landed in something cold and wet. Her eyes snapped open and she suddenly realized that she was covered in snow! She had forgotten to tie the tent flaps shut so the snow had blown in all night.

She sighed and pushed the blanket off of her feet and stretched. Mulan got up and changed from her wet pajamas into her dry training clothes. She grabbed everything that was wet and took it with her out of her tent. While the recruits were eating breakfast, she built a fire by her tent and hung everything over it to dry. Then, she went to get some breakfast for herself. As she was walking, she thought about Shang's attitude towards her lately. His attitude was worse than usual lately. She thought that he was stressed out over something.

Before she made it to Sung's tent, though, she was called back to Shang's tent. Wondering what he could want, Mulan turned and walked into his tent. When she entered, she immediately noticed a man she had never seen before. He was dressed like the imperial messenger that came to her house many months before.

Mulan then looked to Shang. He had the same cold look in his eyes as usual. He motioned for her to sit at the low table in front of him. There was a cushion for her to sit on.

"You will be running the training today." Shang seemed to order. "I need to talk with an imperial messenger, so I can't be there. The training will be target practice with the cannons. You will take the troops to the valley a short distance from camp so I can speak with the messenger in peace."

"Yes, Shang." Mulan answered. She was a little nervous because she knew that some of the soldiers did not respect her rank.

"I will inform then that and insubordination will be punished." Shang added coldly as Mulan stood to leave.

"Thank you." For some reason, Mulan felt compelled to bow before leaving the two men. As she exited the tent, she wondered why.

'I never feel like I have to bow for him,' she thought. 'Why would he do that now?' She shook herself out of her thoughts as she entered the tent for breakfast. After everyone was done, the troops assembled in their line and Shang explained the day's training.

"Today's training will be target practice. You have all fired cannons before, but this time, there will be mannequins out in the field. There will also be snow, as you can see. These will affect the difficulty of the session. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. There is one difference from previous training exercises." Murmuring among the troops could be heard. One of the few who didn't turn to their neighbor was Mulan. She rolled her eyes and Shang glared at the rest.

'Haven't they learned yet?' Mulan thought to herself.

"The difference is that I will not be overseeing it. Mulan will." Shang glared down the line. "I expect no report of insubordination from Mulan. _Is that understood?_"

"Yes sir!"

"Very good. Mulan?" Shang glanced in her direction. She stepped forward, waiting for instructions. "The cannons are loaded in a cart for your horse to pull. The mannequins are not set up. You will have to do that yourself."

"Yes sir." Mulan replied with a nod. Shang then dismissed them and they set off to the training area Shang had described. Khan pulled the cart full of cannons, led by Mulan. The recruits followed them to the large field in a valley. It was a twenty minute walk from camp.

When they got there, Mulan detached Khan from the cart and, using a slipknot, tied him to a tree nearby. She then set up one of the targets in the field, after setting up several more, some to each side a one a long ways back, she returned to where the recruits were waiting. The exercise would be much like the one she did in training, only there weren't any tents close enough to blow up.

"Set up your cannons!" Mulan ordered. They all aimed as best they could. "Fire!" The young men scrambled with their flint to light their cannons. More than two minutes went by and no one managed to light one. It was taking way too long and Mulan let them know it.

"That's way too slow!" She yelled. "We'd all be dead by now if this was real! Hurry it up!" Finally, one managed to get his lit. This seemed to cause a chain reaction as the rest lit theirs. Explosions could be heard all along the valley floor. Of course, all failed to hit any of the targets Mulan had placed.

"Now that you have figured out how to light them, do it faster so that when you aim, your cannon does not sink a little in the snow!" She shouted so all could hear.

* * *

"Do you have any idea why the Emperor sent her to my camp?" Shang demanded of the messenger. He was sitting behind the table. The messenger, looking quite afraid, was now sitting where Mulan had before.

"N-no, sir!" He stuttered in fear. "I w-was only sent to s-see how things were g-going!"

* * *

"Set up your cannons!" Again, the troops set them up, aiming carefully. "Fire!" The first one went off almost immediately. It took a few seconds for the rest, though. Again, none managed to hit.

Mulan chose to run through the exercise several more times before giving instructions on aiming better. After a few more tries, it was almost time for lunch. Mulan decided that they had time for one more shot before making the hike back to camp.

"You may want to aim just above your target to make sure you get enough distance!" Mulan instructed. "Set up your cannons!" She waited a few seconds. "Fire!" The first cannon went off immediately. Everyone else stopped trying to light theirs when they saw its angle.

"Too high!" One recruit yelled. No one could move as they watched it head directly for the mountainside which was covered in fresh snow.

"Oh no…" Mulan whispered. Images of Shan-Yu flashed through her head. "_RUN!!_" She bellowed. The recruits didn't need to be told twice. They turned to run but Mulan feared it was too late. They had to cover the whole clearing before making it up to the next ledge and the wave of snow was gaining fast.

* * *

"What do you mean, 'how things were going'?!" Shang was almost yelling.

"The Emperor wanted to know how things were going with Mulan." He seemed to be getting a little braver, though he shifted uncomfortably on his cushion.

* * *

Khan was way ahead of the group when he suddenly turned back. He had pulled the slipknot out and was now galloping towards Mulan. Mulan had a feeling of deja-vu as she swung herself onto his back. She managed to get Khan to slow enough so she could turn and see how the recruits were doing. The youngest ones were at the front. They ran past her and Khan tried to follow but Mulan wouldn't let him. Several recruits were not used to snow and were struggling to get through.

"Keep running!" Mulan yelled at them. She urged Khan towards them. Two of the three were the older men. These two were hastily lifted onto Khan's strong back. "Get going!" Mulan ordered Khan, slapping his hip. Reluctantly, he ran towards the ledge. The first men were just reaching it, but Mulan knew that she and the last young man were not going to reach it.

She could hear the thundering snow behind her as she ran. She refused to look back, though, because this would only slow her down. It was getting louder and louder! She pushed herself as hard as she could, but it just wasn't enough! Khan had just reached the ledge. He jumped over, landing on a small outcropping about ten feet down.

Mulan was almost there! Just a few more feet! Suddenly, she realized that the recruit wasn't next to her. Frantically, she turned her head just in time to see him get engulfed in the snow. She pushed hard, running faster then she ever had before. She jumped over the ledge just as the snow caught up with her. It was too late. It swept her over the ledge and farther down the mountain. The other recruit was swept next to her and she grabbed hold of his unconscious form.

More and more snow flowed over top of her. She fought to keep at the surface, but she was exhausting quickly. There was no was she was going to keep this up much longer.

* * *

"I'll tell you how things are going! She's a distraction! The only reason she's still here is because the Emperor said she had to be! Lately, she's been even more distracting! Tell His Majesty that I want that woman out of my camp!" Shang roared.

* * *

The avalanche of snow started to slow its pace as the incline became less steep. Mulan's entire body ached from her efforts. She forced herself on, though her strength became less and less. She was slowly losing consciousness. Finally, her body gave in and she saw blackness. The snow piled on top of her, burying her and the fallen recruit.

* * *

"Yes, sir." The messenger stood, gave a short bow, and left the tent.

* * *

_Well, that certainly was exciting, wasn't it? Believe it or not, this fic will soon be coming to a close. Now, the scene changes- when the scene was on Shang, they were in the tent. When it was on Mulan, they were in the valley. It was all happening at the same time._


	10. Tears that Still Haven't Fallen

_Not a whole lot to say! Thanks for the reviews!!_

_Disclaimer: not mine._

* * *

Last time:

"Yes, sir." The messenger stood, gave a short bow, and left the tent.

* * *

Shang sighed, trying to release some of his frustration. Suddenly, the rumbling he had been hearing stopped. At first, he had merely dismissed it in his anger as cannon fire. Now, however, he started to wonder what it was. Suddenly, Sung burst into the tent.

"Sir!" He bowed quickly. "There's been an avalanche in the valley! The troops are there!" Shang jumped up and ran past Sung. He went straight to the pasture and grabbed his bridle from the shed. He quickly put it on his horse and jumped on his back. He had left the gate open and he urged his stallion to cantor through the snow.

"Tell Deng that there may be injuries!" He ordered Sung as he went past him. When he entered the valley, he came from the east side. He could see where the snow had come from, which was from the North to the South. On the South end of the valley, he could see a few men climbing up a ledge. He urged his horse to gallop to them.

"Sir!" The first man bowed and turned to help his comrades up the small cliff. The two older men were pulled up first, followed by the rest of the recruits. Shang ran a list of them through his head. The first person he noticed missing was, of course, Mulan. The second was a man by the name a Peng.

"What happened?" Shang demanded.

"A cannon was fired to high." One of the older men answered. "It hit one of the mountains over there, causing an avalanche. Mulan and Peng were dragged over the cliff by the snow. They are down there somewhere." He gestured over the cliff. There was another, smaller valley there. The snow had hit another mountain that rose up and that's where it had stopped.

"Start searching for them!" Shang ordered. The men obeyed and began searching at the near side. They walked in a line, trying not to miss any sign of life. It was hard to find someone who was buried in the snow, though. Suddenly, Khan took off like a shot towards the other end of the small valley.

* * *

Mulan found herself regaining consciousness. The first thing she noticed was that all she could see was white. It surrounded her. She wondered idly about where she was for a few seconds before it came back to her. The fog that seemed to be surrounding her mind cleared slightly and she began to struggle to free herself.

She tried to move her legs, but they were packed tightly in the snow. Her arms, however, were able to move freely. She began pushing the snow away from her legs, packing it tighter together to create more space. When her legs were more or less free, she started digging upwards. She would dig a little above her head and then push herself upward with her feet. Mulan kept doing this for what seemed to her like hours.

With out warning, a hole seemed to open up above her and fresh air began pouring in. It was then covered by something dark and velvety. Still in a daze, she reached her bare had up to touch it, wondering what it could possibly be.

"Khan?" She murmured. "Is that you?" He neighed quietly and began digging with his front hooves. It attracted the attention of the other recruits. The finally got to where Khan was digging and Shang bent down to see what he had found.

"Mulan!" Shang reached down into the hole Khan had made and pulled her out. She was still in a state of bewilderment and the bright sun seemed to make it worse. She looked at Shang as through she was only half there. "Mulan? Where's Peng?" She pointed at the hole. She shook her head, trying clear the haze away. "Are you sure he's here?" Shang asked after looking in the hole.

"Yes," Mulan answered. "If I survived, he probably did, too." She finally managed to clear her head. Suddenly, Khan began smelling the snow a few feet away. Again, he began digging. This time, though, his head jerked up and he backed away. Mulan crawled over to the hole. She dug in the snow a little and what she found shocked her.

She stood up and backed away. Her eyes were as wide as saucers when she turned to run. She gave a quick whistle and Khan turned and followed her. When he was right next to her, she swung herself unto his back and they took off to the camp. The rest of the recruits and Shang watched her go, wondering what she had found.

"General?" One man said hesitantly. "I think you should see this." Shang looked down into the hole. There certainly was a man there, however, he was dead. His neck was bent at an odd angle and his skin was turning blue. Just in case, though, Shang felt for a pulse but found none. Shang sighed and looked in the direction Mulan had ridden off in.

The man's death bothered him a little. Sure, he was used to death, but this was the first on in his camp. In angered him a little that he was not here, but he also didn't know the whole story. He sighed again and stood from his kneeling position, still looking in Mulan's direction.

"You two," he pointed at two of the young recruits. "Take this man's body to Deng. He will deal with it. You," he pointed at the largest man, "go to the village and find a messenger to take a letter to his family. They will need to know. The rest of you have the remainder of the day off." The three men nodded and began their tasks. Shang began to walk back to the camp, followed by the men whom he didn't give a job.

When they got back to the camp, Shang was beyond angry. The first death in his camp and he was not there to prevent it! He knew exactly what he had to do. As he was walking down row of tents to his own, it began to snow lightly. He paused for a second, before entering his tent, and looked at the sky. It was dark and ominous. He shook his head and walked into his tent.

* * *

Mulan was sitting near the horse pasture. Khan was on the other side of the fence facing her. She had her knees pulled up to her chest and her chin was resting on them. He body shook slightly as she tried not to cry. She knew that it was her fault and she couldn't decide what to do next. She sighed as it started to snow a little more and pulled her legs in tighter.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Sung, who walked up next to her. It took her a few seconds to notice that he was there, but when she did, she wished she hadn't. He had a nervous look on his face and she wondered what could be making him nervous. He still had his apron on and he was wringing his hands through it as he spoke.

"The General wished to speak with you, Mulan." Sung was talking in nearly a whisper.

"Okay," Mulan answered. She gave him a strange look as she stood from her spot against the fence post. She followed him to Shang's tent and he opened one of the flaps for her. Mulan watched his hand shake as she stepped carefully into Shang's tent.

"Mulan." Shang said shortly. "Sit down." Mulan moved automatically and took the place in front of his desk. He sat behind it, as usual. His hands were clasped, squeezing together as though pure anger flowed through the veins within them. His arms were also rigid, shaking slightly. His neck was stiff and his jaw set.

"I'm sorry, Shang-" Mulan began. However, Shang silenced her. She lowered her head as he started.

"Mulan, I was not at all happy when the Emperor informed me that you would be accompanying me to this camp. Not only were you injured at the time, slowing me down, but I felt that a woman would only be a distraction in a military camp. You used up medical supplies that we may have needed!" Mulan cringed as his voice grew louder. "You also pulled me away from my training duties with your little trip to the village!" She could feel tears starting to form in her eyes as his voice grew louder yet. "I had hoped that you could make up for that today, but you have proven otherwise. What you have also proven is that my initial thoughts were right-"

He stopped abruptly when she jumped up, her eyes full of tears that had yet to fall. It was the first time he had actually seen the tears.

"Shang, I'm sorry!" She held her tears back. "I'm sorry I've been such a bother! All I've tried to do was help!" And with that, she ran out of the then. Shang stood up from his cushion as the tent flap closed again. He was in a bit of a shock from seeing her tears.

* * *

The first place Mulan ran was to Sung's tent. She grabbed a little of the food he had left from lunch and put it in bags that were stored there. She then ran from the tent before he found her there, to her own tent. She quickly began throwing her belongings into a bag.

'He'll never understand!' She thought, while pulling her clothes away from the fire she had built which had since gone out. 'He'll never change…' The thought made her tears come back. She had failed! She had failed a mission for the emperor! But, had she really done it for the emperor…? 'No!' Mulan corrected herself. 'No thoughts like that!'

Mulan walked back into her tent to see if there was anything she may have forgotten. She saw nothing there except for the pillow, and the mat that had been loaned to her. Mulan took a few steps to where the mat was and shifted her bag from one had to the other so that she could get the blankets that had been over the fire out of her grasp. As she shifted the bag, an object fell out of it and was covered by the blankets.

Mulan grabbed her armor that was lying at the entrance and pulled it on. Then, she started running towards the horse pasture. She didn't even notice when she pushed past Deng who was on his way to Shang's tent. She didn't even realize that she ran into several more people. Even the increasing snow and wind didn't faze her. The only thing she could think of was getting out of there. The tears returned to her eyes once again as she thought about failing.

'No!' She thought, once again pushing the thoughts out of her head. She took a deep breath and slowed her pace when she reached the gate. Khan was a bit startled at seeing her armor but nevertheless, he trotted over to her as she opened the gate. She grabbed his bridle from a rack near the gate and put it over his head. After shutting the gate, she tied her bag to his blanket and jumped on his back. Mulan urged Khan into as fast a pace as he could go. He wasn't able to go very fast, though, because of the snow. He was in a cantor and Mulan didn't stop him when Deng yelled at her to stop. She merely kept going in the direction of her home.

* * *

_Woo-hoo! I'm finally done with another chapter! Sorry it took a little longer than last time, but school has started for me and I didn't get a whole lot of time to write! Please review and tell me what you think!_


	11. Snow and Wind

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long, but I had a bit of writer's block. But then, I read this article in _Writer's Digest_ and it helped me, so here's the 11th chapter!_

_Disclaimer: Neither _Writer's Digest_ nor _Mulan_ belong to me!_

* * *

Last time:

Mulan urged Khan into as fast a pace as he could go. He wasn't able to go very fast, though, because of the snow. He was in a cantor and Mulan didn't stop him when Deng yelled at her to stop. She merely kept going in the direction of her home.

* * *

Mulan refused to look back at the camp as the tears finally fell. The increasingly harsh wind tore them away as they fell as little droplets of ice away from her face. Khan, sensing danger, kept trying to turn back towards the camp. Suddenly, he dug his hooves into the snow and gave a snort of protest. In return, Mulan moved her hands forward, to give him more reign, and gave him a sharp kick. This only caused him to back up instead of going where she wanted him to.

"KHAN!" Mulan screeched, frustrated. She pulled his right reign and he moved awkwardly in a tight circle, which he didn't like at all. He tossed his head around and whinnied. "Just go!" Mulan yelled, again giving him a sharp kick. This time he complied. Lowering his head, he began again to trudge through the snow.

By now, the snow was swirling around the two and the wind was beginning to howl. Mulan ignored the piercing cold, though, and kept pushing forward. Soon, Mulan found that she couldn't feel her toes. She tried to move them, but she couldn't tell if it was having any effect.

Sighing, she pulled lightly on Khan's reigns and he gladly came to a halt. Mulan sat sideways on his back with her own back to the wind. She pulled one foot up and took off her thin training boot. After she began rubbing her foot vigorously, she was relieved when it began to hurt because it meant that the nerves had not frozen. She repeated the process on her other foot. When she had regained feeling in both, she urged Khan forward again.

* * *

"Mulan WHAT?!" Shang yelled. Deng had just told him about Mulan running off. Shang jumped up, ran out of his tent, and burst into Mulan's. He found it deserted. Right as he was about to leave, a glint caught his eye. 'I wonder what...' his thoughts trailed off as he bent over and lifted the blankets slightly. Barely sticking out from under the blankets was a small gold-edged green comb with a magnolia flower on it. He sunk to his knees. 'What have I done?' Shang thought as he cradled the comb in his hands.

* * *

Mulan had no idea how much time had passed. The swirling wind and snow blocked out any hope of telling by the sun. She merely guessed. In reality, hours had passed, but she wasn't moving as quickly as she would have liked.

Every once in a while, Mulan would have to jump off Khan and hold her hands over his muzzle because his breath was freezing there. Having to get off caused the snow to soak through her training boots to her already cold feet. Her hands, too, began to feel very cold. She had pulled them into her sleeves to try to prevent them from getting too cold too quickly. Now, they were getting colder by the minute. She rubbed them together, but soon found that she lacked the coordination to do that and hold the reigns and the same time.

Now, her arms and legs were beginning to ache with cold. She was feeling very tired as well. Her eyelids began to droop and she fell forward slightly before snapping awake. She knew that if she didn't make a fire soon, she would freeze.

* * *

Shang had informed Sung of what had happened because the cook was wondering who had stolen food. Sung agreed to help Deng in keeping control over the troops. There weren't going to be any training exercises because the snow and wind made it too cold. As soon as the snow let up, Shang was going to go and look for Mulan. The General sat for hours in his tent, hoping the snow would slacken soon.

"Shang?" Deng entered the tent hesitantly, letting in a blast of cold air. "It doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon. In fact, it seems to be getting worse." Shang knew what Deng was telling him was true. He could hear the howling of the wind becoming more of a shriek. He sighed and, nodding at Deng, stood up to exit the tent.

* * *

The wind and snow prevented much line of sight. Mulan squinted around her, trying to penetrate the white walls that seemed to enclose her. Suddenly, Khan turned to the right, causing her to feel off-balance, leaning to the left. Something brushed against her head and she lethargically noticed that it was a tree branch. The wind dropped drastically, blocked by the trees, as did the snow. When she was able to see, Mulan looked around at snow-covered trees. She had reached the forest!

Again, she pulled Khan to a stop. She slid off rather unceremoniously and landed in the knee-deep snow. She numbly walked over to a cluster of trees to shelter herself from the wind. Khan followed her. When she got in the middle, she reached to untie her bag, but her fingers were too numb to untie it from the blanket. Instead, she reached inside and pulled out her flint. Holding it in one hand, she used her free hand to break thin branches off the trees and laid them in a pile. Now came the hard part- lighting the fire.

"What I wouldn't give for Mushu..." Mulan muttered absently. Finally, when she was about to give up, a small spark landed on one of the branches. The fire soon spread and she added more and more branches. Really, her fire was a rather small one, but it gave off a little heat. Khan lay in the snow next to her and she fell asleep leaning against him.

* * *

Shang put on nearly every article of clothing he had brought with him to the camp, including his armor. Even through all this, he could still feel the cold, but only slightly as he walked out of his tent to the medical tent. There were extra blankets and bags there. He grabbed all the blankets he could find and shoved them into bags. Next, he fought his was through the wind to the food tent. Sung had already packed some food and handed Shang the bags. In all, Shang had about five bags.

When Shang walked to the corral, the wind pushed him along from behind, as though urging him forward. He tied all the bags together as he walked and then tied them to the fence so they wouldn't blow away while he was saddling his stallion. After tying the bags to the saddle, he jumped on.

The stallion, like Khan, did not want to leave the camp. Shang was more forceful with his horse, reaching behind and giving him a slap on the hindquarters. The stallion jumped forward and began at a brisk trot. Since Shang knew that this is the most efficient gait, he allowed him to keep it.

There were no tracks for Shang to follow; they were all blown over. He could only guess the direction that Mulan had left in was that of her home. He made only a little better time than Mulan. His stallion was in a little better shape than Khan and he was smaller. However, the bags caught the wind, slowing him down a little.

By the time Shang had guessed it was nightfall, he, too had reached the forest. However, Mulan had not stayed in a straight line and she had entered the forest about a mile away from where Shang had. Shang also found a close group of trees for a camp and build a fire before falling asleep.

* * *

Mulan woke up shivering. The wind was still howling just as much as the day before, but she was more aware of her surroundings. Khan sensed that she was awake and stood up, shaking the snow off his body. When Mulan stood, she found that her feet were numb. It took much longer to get the feeling back in them than the day before because her fire had gone out during the night.

After the feeling returned, she had to eat a cold breakfast, which only chilled her insides more. Figuring that riding would warm her up a little, she put her flint back in her bag and climbed onto Khan's back. She squeezed his sides and he started to walk out of the little circle of trees. The wind suddenly beat at them both, stinging Mulan's exposed face and hands. She bent her head into the wind and pulled her hands again into her sleeves.

Shang also woke up slightly cold, but he had many more layers of clothing, so just walking around warmed him up. He took a little time to make a small fire and heat his breakfast, which also helped him to be warm. He then climbed into his horse and they, too, entered the harsh wind. Having no idea where Mulan could be, he began towards where she had actually made her camp.

Mulan's feet and hands were numb. Again having to jump off of Khan to thaw out his nose soaked her boots through. Soon, the water froze and her boots were frozen solid with it.

She also found herself daydreaming of home. She was thinking of the magnolia tree in the family garden and of Mushu, who was again a statue with the guardians. To her family's amazement, a cricket statue now held their incense burner.

She was also daydreaming about seeing her family again. She laughed to herself about the looks on their faces at seeing the new incense burner. It was as if she was back in the shrine with them. Utter shock was written clearly on all their faces.

Suddenly, she snapped out of her thoughts and realized that her arms were now numb and that the reigns were barely in her hands. She moved haphazardly and managed to get them back into the palms of her hands.

With both legs and arms numb, balancing was very hard. Her eyes hung half-open and she was hunched over, shivering uncontrollably. Her lips were starting to turn blue and her face white. For a few seconds, she could see only black then the white abyss around her would return. For a split second, she thought she had seen Deng, but the image was gone.

"Shang..." She choked, falling forward even more. "Help....me..." She fell into unconsciousness, leaning forward and dropping off Khan's back face-first into the snow.

* * *

_Okay! I know it was short again, but I really wanted to update! I should have asked you all to guess what had fallen out of Mulan's bag, but it's too late now! Why would Mulan beg Shang, of all people, for help? Review!_


	12. Warm and Cold

_Wow! 10 reviews on chapter 11 and one more on chapter 1!! Thanks a TON to all of you! I'm really glad you like it!! Here goes chapter 12 and it should be a longer one....I hope. _

_Disclaimer: not mine._

* * *

Last time:

"Shang..." She choked, falling forward even more. "Help....me..." She fell into unconsciousness, leaning forward and dropping off Khan's back face-first into the snow.

* * *

Khan jumped at the sudden movement and gave a whinny when Mulan didn't move. He nudged her with his muzzle and snorted, frantically trying to figure out what was wrong. He seemed to dance around in the snow, panicking; she had never fallen off of him like that before. He soon settled down and, sensing that she was still shivering, he laid down next to her. It was almost as though he knew to use his own body heat to keep her warm. They laid like that for a long time, the snow forming a white blanket over them.

* * *

Shang had trotted for about an hour against the wind when he found Mulan's camp. The sticks were almost buried, but Shang could tell she had been there by the large imprint in the snow where Khan had slept. He noted the direction the barely visible tracks left the trees and began to follow it. It soon disappeared but Shang kept going in a straight line, hoping that Mulan had as well.

* * *

Mulan still lay unconscious. Both horse and rider were buried in close to three inches of snow. With the wind, the snow was quickly blown away and replaced. Without warning, Khan lifted his large head, his ears turned back, listening. He stood up, causing the snow to cascade from his body. He began to prance in a circle around Mulan, snorting and whinnying to call attention to himself.

Then, as quickly as he started, he stopped moving in a circle and seemed to trot in place. His ears were alert and forward. His eyes were also forward, even though the snow prevented much line of sight.

* * *

Shang's stallions ears turned forward the second Khan realized they were there. The stallion heard Khan's commotion before Shang even knew what was going on and started moving more forward. Shang sensed the quickened step and was soon able to hear Khan as well. They came up on Khan and Shang jumped off his stallion before even coming to a halt.

Khan was again prancing in a frantic circle around Mulan. As seeing this, Shang began pushing the layer of snow away. Mulan had stopped shivering. He quickly rolled her onto her back and checked for a pulse and breathing. He was relieved to find both. However, her face was blue from the cold and her lips were slightly purple. Shang stood up and ran over to his stallion and grabbed three blankets out of the bags.

After removing Mulan's armor, be began rubbing her arms and legs briskly until they were beginning to feel warm. He wrapped her in the blankets and, after shoving her armor into a bag, lifted her off the ground.

Shang hesitantly moved towards Khan. Khan had stopped prancing and stood stalk still. Shang was surprised, but draped Mulan over his back before climbing on. Knowing his stallion would follow, he made his way back to the spot Mulan had used as a campsite. He carefully took her limp form off Khan's back and laid her in the snow. Shang quickly began breaking branches to build a fire. After starting it, he began removing the blankets from Mulan's body. Seeing that her boots were frozen, he peeled them off. He also peeled off her stocking and was relieved that her skin wasn't frozen as well.

He had on four pairs of stockings. Shang removed all of them and chose the two innermost and thickest pairs and put them on her exposed feet. He then set her boots and stockings by the fire to thaw and dry. Shang gave a quick whistle and his horse walked forward a few steps. Shang reached up and removed the bags. After setting them on the ground, he reached into the bags and pulled out a pair of gloves that were used for training. He shoved Mulan's stiff hands into them and began rubbing her hands until, when he pulled the gloves off, they seemed a little warm.

He put the gloves back on her hands and then pulled the rest of the blankets out of the bags. He wrapped one around himself and the rest around Mulan. He sat facing the fire with Mulan sitting in front of him, leaning against his chest.

Shang noticed that her skin seemed to be less blue and she began to shiver. Her teeth chattered and her eyes remained closed. He rubbed her arms through the blankets. Her shivering grew worse and worse, but it was a good sign- her body was trying to warm itself up and she was still very much alive.

* * *

Mulan had been vaguely aware of the fact that she was feeling warmer. She felt surrounded by a clouded blackness that never seemed to end. Her body shook, but she couldn't figure out why; her mind wasn't registering the cold very well, only the warmth. She was becoming frustrated because she couldn't think straight. Her mind itself seemed foggy.

She was determined to figure out what was going on. She concentrated on the fogginess going away and her mind seemed to clear a small amount. Mulan suddenly found herself in pitch darkness. She slowly realized that her eyes were closed.

Mulan opened her eyes slightly, but the bright whiteness of the snow was blinding. She squinted and groggily took in her surroundings. She became aware that she was somewhat sitting up in front of a fire. She also noticed a white horse standing with Khan.

'What's a white horse doing...?' Just then, she realized that she was not leaning against Khan. Another wave of shivers wracked her body and she whimpered slightly from the pain it caused in her somewhat numb limbs. Shang's eyes widened and he jumped a little at the sudden sound from the small frame in his arms.

"Mulan?" Shang asked, shifting slightly so he could see her face. He was relieved to find that very little of the blue color remained. Only her lips had any of the hue left. He could tell that she was in a daze, somewhat unaware of her surroundings.

"Mulan?" Shang said again. "Are you okay?"

"Who's...?" She trailed off, still unable to think straight. Nor was she able to open her eyes because of the bright whiteness.

"It's me, Mulan," Shang answered her question. "It's Shang."

"How did you...?" Again, her question was unfinished. Her head was beginning to pound.

"Your horse was making quite a commotion." Shang answered, again understanding exactly what she meant.

"Khan?"

"Yes, Mulan," He loved the sound of her name on his tongue. "Khan was really worried about you."

"S-so cold..." Mulan winced as she shivered again. Shang suddenly went into General mode.

"Can you feel your toes?" He asked. She nodded in reply. "Your fingers?" Again, she nodded. "Good."

"What are...?" Mulan wondered as he began removing the blankets surrounding her. He paused for a second and removed his armor and tossed in a pile near the bag that contained hers. He then began wrapping the blankets around both of them, using his body heat to try to warm her.

"Better?" He asked. She nodded again as her eyelids started to droop. "Mulan!" he shook her, causing her to open her eyes again. "Stay awake! Please!"

"I'm sorry..." Mulan drifted off, back into unconsciousness.

"Mulan, _please!_" He shook her again but she didn't open her eyes this time. His head fell against hers and he gave her a tight hug. "It's okay," he whispered in her seemingly unhearing ear, "as long as you open your beautiful eyes again." Shang wrapped the blankets around her and gently laid her on the ground. Then he hurriedly shoved his armor in the bag with hers. Her boots and stockings were not yet dry, but they went into this bag as well. The bag was tied back onto Shang's stallion.

"Khan," Shang looked at the huge horse. "I need you to carry us again." Khan walked a few steps over to where Mulan's still form was. Shang sighed with relief and lifted Mulan onto Khan's back so she was lying on her stomach with her feet on one side of Khan's back and her head on the other. He pulled himself up after grabbing the reigns and sat behind where Mulan was.

Because her feet were held together by the blankets, she would have to remain perpendicular to Khan's body. Shang carefully rolled her over and cradled her with his right arm. He would use his feet to steer, along with his left hand. He took a moment to become accustomed to riding such a big horse. He hadn't noticed the difference before because of his adrenaline rush. After riding his own stallion for so long, Khan seemed very big. Just before they left their shelter, Shang pulled the blankets up to shield Mulan's neck and turned her towards his chest to protect her face from the wind. He gave a little whistle to his stallion and clicked his tongue, telling Khan that it was time to go. Khan readily walked out into the wind, knowing they were returning to camp.

By now, Shang couldn't be certain of the exact direction that camp was in. He could merely guess the general direction and hope the guess brought him close. Hours passed and he was starting to think that he had missed the camp.

All of a sudden, he realized that he could make out shapes of lonely trees. He remembered that there were a few trees in a field a ways away from the camp. The wind was dying down and was becoming less piercing.

Regardless, Mulan had started shivering again. The random spasms were making Shang's arm ache. He knew he'd have to stop and rest, but he just wanted to get her into the care of a doctor where she'd be warm. When he could no longer take the aching, he pulled lightly on Khan's reigns and the large horse came to a stop. Shang's own stallion came up beside them as though wondering what was going on.

Shang balanced Mulan so she was leaning against his chest to rest his arm. He only paused for about five minutes and then he was off again. This time, he tried to get Khan to cantor. After several tries, Khan managed it in the knee-deep snow. Shang knew he couldn't keep this gait up for long, but he wanted Khan to warm up again after cooling off while Shang rested. Soon, Khan was breathing heavily and Shang allowed him to slow to a walk.

It was getting easier to see and Shang could now make out the shadow of the clouds in the sky when he looked up. The wind had lessened even more and the snow was no longer swirling. The wind had also changed direction and now pushed the small group " Mulan muttered. Shang jumped and looked down at her. Her eyes were half-open and she seemed to be in a state of semi-consciousness.

"I know," he squeezed her body slightly. "I am, too." He eyes opened fully for a split second before drifting closed again as a wave of shivers overtook her body.

"Where...?" Mulan was fighting hard for consciousness, and Shang could tell. She forced her eyes back open.

"I don't know." Shang answered, again giving her a small, comforting squeeze.

The blackness of consciousness was closing around her again, but Mulan refused to let it best her. She wanted to stay awake, but her mind would not clear. The fogginess prevailed as the black void enveloped her. It was strange, though, that while she could hear Shang, she couldn't see him. It scared her a little, because she couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed. The more she thought, lethargically, about it, the more she was convinced that she was imagining his words; that her mind was hallucinating because of the cold.

Then, there was nothing. She could no longer hear his words. His voice seemed to fade away as she slipped deeper and deeper into the void. She absently thought about the fact that she was no longer cold; she wasn't shivering anymore and she didn't need to. She also wondered why, though. What was happening? She could hear his voice again...calling her name; pleading with her to come back. But where had she gone?

Suddenly, she was cold again, and shivering. She wanted so bad to go back to the warmth, but something told her that that warmth wasn't good, so she obeyed and allowed herself to follow the frantic voice.

* * *

_Well, I guess that was a little longer than the others. I had hoped it would be longer because I had it written out and it took up a lot of pages. I guess I should've known it wouldn't work out that way. Oh well._

_Oh yeah, I wanted to let everyone know that everything I put in here about the horses (their gaits and how to handle them) is true! I love being able to put stuff like that in because I ride horses a lot. This can be a bad thing though. If someone doesn't understand when I talk 'horse lingo' please tell me so that I can explain! I don't want anyone to be confused!! Please review!!_


	13. Old Shang?

_Thanks so much to **Veasse **for pointing out my error! I could never keep the spelling straight! You're right and I'll correct it when I get a chance. Thanks to everyone else who reviewed! Is there anything specific that anyone wants explained about the horse talk?_

_Disclaimer: not mine._

* * *

Last time:

Suddenly, she was cold again, and shivering. She wanted so bad to go back to the warmth, but something told her that that warmth wasn't good, so she obeyed and allowed herself to follow the frantic voice.

* * *

Mulan slowly opened her eyes again. She found herself lying in the snow. Shang was kneeling over her, his arms bracing on either side of her. It took a few seconds for her vision to clear and she could see the fear in his eyes. Mulan shook her head as her eyesight again blurred and focused.

"Oh Mulan..." Shang whispered with relief. He lifted her torso off the ground in a tight hug. Mulan pressed her cheek against his in the best hug she could give with her arms bound to her sides by the blankets. "I though I had lost you."

"I could hear you..." Mulan's voice was hoarse. Her eyes widened as she felt a slight wetness on her cheek. She lifted her head a little and saw the tears falling from Shang's eyes.

"We should keep going." He said suddenly, standing up slowly and lifting her with him.

"How much further?" Mulan asked.

"I'm not quite sure." Shang answered her, looking around. He didn't want to tell her that he didn't know exactly where they were because it might scare her. He was pretty sure they were on the right track, or at least he hoped so. The wind was now very calm and he could clearly see his surroundings. Mulan noticed him looking around and followed-suit.

"What's wrong?" She asked slowly. She couldn't see a whole lot because her vision was still blurred.

"Nothing," Shang replied.

"Are you sure?" Mulan asked. Khan was standing near them. Suddenly, he started tossing his head and snorting. He walked a few steps and then came back. He repeated this several times and Shang's stallion followed him as well. The stallion stood where Khan turned around and kept looking in that direction.

"What's he doing?" Shang asked Mulan, referring to Khan.

"I think...he knows the way...back." Mulan answered slowly.

"Think so?" Shang wondered. Mulan nodded. Shang returned her nod and lifted her to her feet. "I'm going to unwrap some of these blankets so you can ride easier." Shang told her. He held her up with one arm as he began taking the blankets away from her legs with his other hand. Shang left one blanket but gave her enough room so she could sit comfortably on Khan's back. He also loosened the blankets around her torso and freed her arms. The blankets he had taken from her legs were wrapped around her shoulders like a shawl.

Mulan gave a weak whistle and Khan came and stood calmly next to her. Shang lifted her onto Khan's back and then climbed up behind her. He rested her back against him. Mulan picked up the reigns and handed them to Shang. Khan didn't even have to be asked to move. The second he sensed that they were ready, he started off at a brisk trot. Shang's stallion was quickly passed by and Shang looked back to make sure he was following.

Soon, Mulan was vaguely starting to recognize the path they were on. It wasn't the one she had taken to get away, but she had used it before. All of a sudden, Khan gave a small buck and began to canter. Both Mulan and Shang knew they were almost back because horses always try to go faster when they get closer to home. Both horses' ears suddenly turned forward and Shang's stallion passed Khan at a full-out gallop. The bags were bouncing erratically but stayed in place.

Khan stretched his neck out, pulling the unsuspecting riders forward. He pulled at the bit, wanting to go even faster to catch up with the white horse that was now was ahead of him. Shang allowed him the slack and Khan thundered forward. Shang was surprised at how fast he caught up because horses Khan's size were not build for speed, and he was carrying two people.

To Mulan, it felt like Khan's hooves never touched the ground. Instead, he seemed to be flying, but it just wasn't fast enough. She wanted so badly to stop shivering and have something warm to drink.

Just as suddenly and Khan had started cantering, he stopped, dropping to a trot then a walk. Again, Shang and Mulan were forced to lean forward, this time due to momentum. Khan's walk was brisk as he was still eager to return home. Shang's stallion was still galloping and was way ahead. Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks and turned back to Shang. When khan reached the spot where the stallion was, they found themselves on the top of a hill looking down at the camp.

Shang's stallion reared with excitement and plunged through the untouched snow down the hill. Khan went about descending the hill a little more carefully. The stallion, having reached flat ground, crossed a small clearing and galloped straight down the center isle between the tents.

At hearing the horse's hoof beats, Deng came out of his tent in time to watch, dumbfounded, as the horse made it to the corral. He frowned and scratched his temple before turning around at the sound of people yelling. The first thing he saw was the black figure of Khan barreling across the field. He was a bit dismayed at first, but then he saw one, then two people on his back.

"He found her..." He whispered, and then he said more loudly, "He found her!" Soon, he was yelling it over and over.

* * *

Mulan could hear people cheering before she could see them.

"We're here, Mulan!" Shang couldn't keep the happiness out of his voice. All Mulan could do was grin. It fell quickly, though, because she was sure that Shang would return to his cold self the second he was with the troops again. She found herself wishing that they weren't back only because he was kind.

When they reached the edge of the encampment, Khan slowed to a walk. The recruits surrounded them, happy to have their General back. Deng pushed his way through the crowd and pulled on Khan's reigns, leading him over to the medical tent.

"How is she?" Deng asked Shang, not sure if Mulan was speaking condition.

"Fine..." Mulan answered, surprising him

"Let's get her into the tent." Deng said and Shang got off Khan's back. Shang lifted Mulan from Khan's back and carried her into the tent. He laid her on the bed and waited for Deng to say something. Deng pulled away the blankets and felt Mulan's face and neck. He sighed and removed the gloved to find white fingers. He nodded and moved to her boots. He removed them and was relieved to find no black skin.

"Well?" Shang urged.

"She's very cold." Deng answered. "Luckily, there is no frostbite, but we need to get her warm."

"How can I help?"

"Start a fire and place rocks in it. Let them get warm but not too hot. Bring them to me when they're ready. Use this blanket." Deng instructed.

Shang nodded and left the tent immediately. He started a fire and gathered some rocks that were a little larger than his fist. He placed them at the edge of the fire and waited. Soon, they were warm and he carefully removed pushed them out of the fire with a stick. He then picked them up using the blanket that Deng had given him and took them back to Deng. When he got to the tent, Deng had changed Mulan's clothes and she was shivering again.

"Place them here." Deng lifted Mulan's blanket and Shang placed the stoned, still in the blanket, against Mulan's body. She opened her eyes slightly and gave him a weak smile before her eyes closed again.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Shang asked worriedly.

"No, now we just wait." Deng answered, and then paused for a moment. "Actually, you can go get a bowl of rice for yourself and her." Shang nodded and, again, left the tent. Mulan opened her eyed again as the tent flap shut.

"Where...?" She asked lethargically.

"He went to get some food." Deng assured her. "He'll be right back." She calmed down and he rearranged the rocks around her body to spread the heat out more. Shang soon returned with two bowls of rice and two sets of chopsticks.

"Mulan?" Shang said quietly. Her eyes opened slightly at the sound of his voice. He reached forward and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Are you hungry?" She nodded slowly. Sang looked at Deng and said, "Let's sit her up a little." Deng nodded and rolled up a few blankets. Shang lifted her up and Deng placed the blankets under her back and head to prop her up. Her eyed had closed again and she seemed to be fighting sleep.

"Please, Mulan." Shang said quietly to her. "You need to eat. It'll help you warm up." He plucked a lump of rice from the bowl with a set of chopsticks and held it out to her. She opened her mouth a little and he gently placed the rice inside. After seeing that she had swallowed, he held out another lump. They carried on like this until the bowl was gone.

"Thank...you, Shang." Mulan whispered before drifting off to sleep.

"You're welcome." Shang smiled. By now, his own rice had gotten cold, but he didn't care. While Shang was making sure Mulan had something to eat, Deng went and heated more rocks. He replaced the ones around Mulan with the new ones and took the others back to the fire. When he returned, Shang was just finishing his bowl of rice.

"I need to check you for signs of frostbite."

"I don't have any frostbite." Shang replied.

"I need to check just to make sure." Deng snapped. "Now sit down." Shang sighed and gave in. He sat in the chair as Deng directed and removed his boots. Just as he had said, there was no frostbite.

"See?" Shang said. Putting his boots back on and standing up.

"Good." Deng nodded. "Now I can tell you're exhausted, so go get some rest." Shang opened his mount to protest, looking at Mulan, but Deng interjected before he could say anything. "I'll come get you if anything happens. Just go!" Deng pushed Shang out of the tent. Shang had no choice but to give in again and retire to his tent.

* * *

_I know... short again, but I've not had much time to write because I'm taking a college class as a high school junior. It's really stressing and takes up a lot of my time, but I'm trying! Review and tell me what you think!_


	14. The Letter

_WOO-HOO!! I've hit 100 reviews! Dragon Spirit Fighter was the 100th reviewer! Yay!! I didn't think I'd actually make 100 on my first Mulan fic, but this is really cool! Thanks to everyone! _

_Disclaimer: why do we put these? We're on a fan fiction site... I think they know we don't own anything..._

* * *

Last time:

"See?" Shang said. Putting his boots back on and standing up.

"Good." Deng nodded. "Now I can tell you're exhausted, so go get some rest." Shang opened his mouth to protest, looking at Mulan, but Deng interjected before he could say anything. "I'll come get you if anything happens. Just go!" Deng pushed Shang out of the tent. Shang had no choice but to give in again and retire to his tent.

* * *

Shang entered his tent and decided to change into new training clothes. As he was untying the sash at his waist, a small object clunked to the floor. He looked at it questioningly before reaching down to pick it up.

'I forgot about that,' he thought as he turned the small green comb over in his hand. 'I'll give it back to her later.' He set it on the table in his tent and lay down on his bed. After pulling the covers up, he laid there, thinking about Mulan. More specifically, he was thinking about how she changed him.

'How did she manage it?' He wondered. 'I didn't even realize that she was working her way into my heart as she was doing it. Just a few months ago, I wouldn't have even thought about going after her...' His mind was growing tired. The exhaustion of the past few days was finally getting to him.

'Do I love her...?' With this last though, he drifted off to sleep, only to wake up a little while later.

* * *

Deng was in the medic tent, again changing the stones around Mulan's cold body. She was still shivering, though not quite as much. At feeling her forehead, he could tell that her body temperature has risen slightly. Each time he entered the tent, Mulan was becoming more and more aware of what was around her. She would open her eyes every time Deng lifted her blankets to change the rocks.

"Where's...Shang?" She asked groggily.

"He's in his tent," Deng replied, realizing that Mulan was not awake to hear his response. He sighed and finished replacing the rocks. He took the cooled ones back to the fire and placed them in it. He then went back to the tent and saw that Mulan was awake again.

"How do you feel?" Deng asked, again feeling her forehead.

"Cold." Mulan answered, shivering.

"Yes, but you are warming up." Deng smiled at her. "Here, wrap up in this, too." He pulled her blankets back and covered her with another blanket that he had warmed over the fire. He then pulled the other blankets back over her, then asked, "Is that any better?"

"Yes," Mulan responded. "Well, a little."

"Good. Are you hungry again?"

"No, not really," Mulan yawned.

"Okay, well get some more rest." Deng smiled again and left the tent.

The troops had been given the day off by Deng to rest. He had assigned one to help him with the rocks and this man was standing near the fire. Deng noticed that no one had taken care of the horses, seeing both of them standing at the gate to the corral trying to get at the hay that was placed just on the other side of the fence.

"Go take care of the horses." Deng instructed the man. The man nodded and walked over to Khan and the stallion. After taking the bags off of the stallion and taking the tack off both horses, they were allowed into the corral. They immediately started eating the hay.

* * *

By nightfall, Mulan's temperature was back up to normal. Shang had brought her soup until she felt like she was drowning in it. Now that she was finally warm, she was able to sleep in peace. Shang was also more relaxed because he knew that Mulan was okay.

As night fell over the camp, Deng came in to the tent to tell Mulan that she could go to her own tent if she wanted to. When he walked in, he found Mulan already sleeping. He realized that Shang was also in the tent. Mulan's bed was on a raised table to make things easier for Deng. Shang was sitting on the floor, holding Mulan's hand. He was sleeping with his head on his arm.

Deng didn't want to wake him, but he knew that he had to; if any recruits saw them, they would be in trouble. Deng sighed and made his way over to Shang. He shook Shang's shoulder and Shang opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry for waking you, sir," Deng said, "but we can't allow the recruits to see you two like that."

"Yes," Shang sighed, "you are right."

"Mulan can return to her tent." Deng said, changing the subject. "Would you mind carrying her there?"

"No, of course not." Shang stood and stretched. He lifted the blankets and took the rocks out, handing them to Deng. He then gently lifted Mulan from the mat, hoping she wouldn't wake. He was relieved when she didn't and turned to walk out of the tent. Dent held the flap for him and he walked outside, into the darkness. Mulan stirred slightly at the changed in temperature, but she still didn't wake up. Shang made the short walk to her tent and Deng again held the flap open.

Shang bent down and tenderly placed Mulan on the mat in her tent. She opened her eyes slightly before closing them again and drifting back to sleep. Shang stood up and looked down at her, admiring how calm she looked when she slept. Deng cleared his throat, snapping Shang out of his thoughts. Shang nodded and made sure the blankets were covering her before leaving her to sleep.

"Be sure to get more sleep tonight." Deng told Shang. "I can tell you're still exhausted." He then walked back to his tent to try to get more sleep.

* * *

Mulan woke up to the recruits walking to breakfast. She groaned and rolled over, trying to get more sleep. Finding that she was now awake, she decided to get up. When she sat up, she realized that she wasn't in the medic tent anymore. It took her a second to recognize her tent because none of her possessions were there.

She pushed the blankets off and stood up. She was a little dizzy, but it quickly passed. Figuring that she had nothing to change into, she just kept the clothes she was wearing. She couldn't hear anymore recruits walking by and decided that they were already eating in the cook's tent.

Exiting the tent sent a cold shock through her body. It was much warmer inside the tent and she hurried along to the cook's tent, hoping to be warm again. When she entered the tent, the recruits turned and looked in her direction. She stood there awkwardly, with the deer-in-the-headlights look.

"Finish eating!" Shang snapped at them. "We have training to get done!" They quickly returned to their breakfast. Mulan got herself a bowl of rice and a cup of tea and sat down next to Shang.

"Will I be training today?" Mulan asked him quietly.

"No," Shang replied. "I would feel better if you didn't." Mulan nodded and ate her breakfast. She finished at the same time as the recruits and Shang drew them outside. Their morning training was to be archery, only they were to shoot at dummies out in a field. Mulan came to the field with them. As they walked the short distance to the field, Shang passed her and threw a jacket over her shoulders.

"Wear this, too." He said with a small smile. She was a bit surprised, as she was already wearing her own coat. She didn't refuse it, though, and she ran a few paces to catch up with him.

She could only sit and watch, giving the recruits a few unwanted pointers here and there. She grew bored just watching and wished she could practice as well, but Shang refused to allow it. Mulan yawned and leaned back on her elbows. She was sitting on the ground under a barren tree watching arrow after arrow miss the dummy; this was the first time they had to aim at something other than a tree.

By lunch, most of the recruits were able to hit their target often. Mulan was glad because this meant that they would do something different after lunch. Soon, Shang decided that it was time for lunch and the recruits put their bows back in the holders and began to walk back to the camp.

As they approached the cook's tent, Deng was standing outside looked rather worried. A man that looked like an Imperial messenger stood next to him, holding the reigns to his horse. The messenger gave a quick bow to Shang before turning to Mulan. He handed her a piece of parchment. Mulan looked at it questioningly before opening it. As she read it, her eyes grew wide and her face acquired a hurt look. She inhaled sharply and nodded at the messenger.

"Mulan...?" Shang grasped her shoulder as she turned to follow the messenger. She met his eyed with a broken look, handed him the letter and ran after the messenger. Shang held the letter for a few seconds, staring after her before it occurred to him to read the letter.

_Fa Mulan,_

_I regret to hear of the incident with the avalanche. By Shang's request, you will be returning home. I know of your feelings for him; however I do not feel that it is safe for you there. Please understand._

_Sincerely,_

_Your Emperor_

* * *

_Well? How was that? Ugh... short again, but hey! At least it's another chapter! I've had a lighter workload this week, so I was able to write more! Please remember to review and tell me what you think!_


	15. The Magnolia Tree

I must say, it has been much too long since I last updated. School has been very stressful, and on top of that, I tore my ACL doing Judo (a Japanese martial art) and I had to have surgery to have it reconstructed, which put me even more behind in school. Anyway, school is almost done, so it's been less stressful.

Thanks to everyone who has continued to review and remind me that I still have to finish!

Disclaimer: not mine.

* * *

Last time:

_Fa Mulan,_

_I regret to hear of the incident with the avalanche. By Shang's request, you will be returning home. I know of your feelings for him; however I do not feel that it is safe for you there. Please understand._

_Sincerely,_

_Your Emperor

* * *

_

Shang re-read the message several times. He was in disbelief; he didn't remember requesting that Mulan leave. Then it hit him.

* * *

"I'll tell you how things are going! She's a distraction! The only reason she's still here is because the Emperor said she had to be! Lately, she's been even more distracting! Tell His Majesty that I want that woman out of my camp!" Shang roared.

"Yes, sir." The messenger stood, gave a short bow, and left the tent.

* * *

"Oh no…" Shang whispered and ran off after Mulan and the messenger. When he caught up, Mulan was tying saddlebags onto Khan. She only glanced at him for a moment before finishing tying them on.

"I've changed my mind." Shang said to the messenger.

"I'm sorry, General." The messenger replied. "I have orders from the Emperor to escort Mulan to her village. You cannot go against those orders."

"She must stay!" Shang argued. "Allow me to send you back with a message to the Emperor."

"I cannot. I have my orders." He answered. Shang realized that there was no arguing with this messenger.

"What if I were to escort her?" Shang decided to try a different angle.

"No. Unless I am wrong, you have a camp session to finish. The Emperor would be very displeased if you left."

"Shang," Mulan said quietly, earning a surprised look from the messenger. "Just let me go." Hurt was evident in her voice; Shang sighed in defeat.

"Okay." Shang answered, feeling helpless, then said to the messenger, "Bring me a message from her on your way back." The messenger nodded, relieved. Shang moved over by Mulan and whispered quietly to her, "Tell me in your note if he's treated you badly. When I get your note, I'll know you got home safely." Mulan only nodded before climbing onto Khan's back. Upon seeing Mulan was ready, the messenger climbed onto his horse and they departed in the direction of Mulan's village. Shang stood and watched until he could no longer see Mulan's figure in the distance. He turned to find the troops for the next session, but instead found himself face to face with Deng.

"You're just letting her go?" Deng inquired.

"Do I have a choice? I can't go after her-I'll get in trouble this time." Shang answered. "I must finish this camp. We're behind already." Deng shook his head sadly before walking back to camp. Shang soon followed and started an afternoon session.

* * *

Just as the one before it, this journey was taken in silence. Mulan wondered idly why the Emperor hired such pompous men as this one. After all, the Emperor was not pompous. The two only stopped for lunch and kept going in silence. In some areas, they were forced to slow down because of deep snow.

The amount of snow thinned as the pair descended from the foothills of the mountains. The trees had not yet begun to leaf out, however, but leaf buds were beginning to form. Mulan suddenly realized that spring would soon be at her home! Her Magnolia tree would bloom in only a matter of weeks! Now she was happy to be going home. Sure, she wanted to see her family again, but she wanted to be with Shang even more.

As they traveled south, patches of ground with no snow began to appear. Green grass could be seen poking through in some of these spots. The air even seemed fresher the farther they went. After a journey of three days, they reached Mulan's house. It took longer this time because of the areas of deep snow. When they reached the gate to Mulan's house, she invited the messenger in for tea. He accepted and they entered Mulan's property.

"Mulan!" Fa Li ran to her daughter as she walked in the door. Mulan was engulfed with hugs from her family. "How have you been? We haven't received a letter in a while!"

"How's your General?" Grandmother Fa whispered in Mulan's ear. Mulan blushed and didn't reply. After the family and the messenger had tea, Mulan wrote a quick note for Shang telling him that she had arrived safely and that the messenger treated her well. She gave it to the messenger, not knowing that it would never reach Shang.

* * *

A whole week had gone by and Shang hadn't gotten a note from Mulan. He felt uncomfortable writing to her family, in case the worst had happened. He became very worried and wrote a message anyway at Deng's urging. When he took it to the village, there was no one willing to deliver it. Shang had no choice but to accept it.

With each passing day, he worried more and more. He would read his letter at night. Mulan's Magnolia comb was his only real source of comfort. It was as if holding the comb meant that she was there with him. The camp had a month and a half left when Mulan had to leave. Shang made sure to have the last few days the most challenging for the new soldiers. There were a couple of tests they had to pass and all succeeded easily.

The last day ended at midday and the soldiers were allowed to go home. Shang didn't start packing up until all the soldiers had left. The last things he packed were his own possessions. As he was cleaning his desk off, the comb was knocked off and landed on the floor. He bent down and picked it up. As he did, he noticed something he hadn't before. On the underside of a petal was the Emperor's crest. He gasped and nearly dropped it again. He carefully tied it into his sash and finished gathering his things.

He passed Sung's tent on the way to Deng's. Shang entered the tent and found Sung just finishing packing his own belongings. Shang said goodbye to Sung before continuing to Deng's tent. When he got there, he pulled out the comb and explained what it meant. Deng merely smiled.

"This certainly has been an interesting camp." Shang said.

"Yes," Deng agreed. "But something tells me it will get even more interesting." He gave no explanation, but Shang didn't need one. Both knew what Shang had to do. After saying their goodbyes, Shang went to the corral. Only three horses were left-his, Deng's, and Sung's. Shang drew his horse away from the others. After saddling his stallion, he tied the bags on and climbed up. With one last look at camp, he took off in the direction of Mulan's village.

Shang only stopped to sleep, continuing at a walk when he needed to eat. Of course, he allowed his horse water, but the snow that remained at the beginning of the trip made it rather difficult. Soon, there was no snow and a few trees had pale green leaves. As Shang continued south, everything grew greener and some trees had blossoms. It only took Shang two days to reach Mulan's village. When he arrived at the gate, he climbed off his stallion and pushed open the doors.

* * *

Mulan was sitting on the bench under her Magnolia tree in the garden. It was just before the peak of its blooming and she was surrounded by the flowers. However, for the first time in her life, she wasn't enjoying it. Sighing, she reached up and plucked a flower from a branch. She cradled it in her hands and looked at it as though it would bring the old Shang back to her. Movement caught her eye and she glanced up as her grandmother entered the garden.

"There's someone here to see you." Grandmother Fa said. As she did so, Shang appeared behind her. Mulan sighed and looked away. Grandmother Fa looked between Shang and Mulan before walking back into the house. Shang waited until he heard the door shut before walking over to the tree. When Mulan refused to look at Shang, he grasped her chin and gently pulled her face towards his. Still, she refused to meet his eyes.

"Please, Mulan. Why won't you look at me?" Shang asked, almost begging. She didn't' respond. Instead, she pulled away from him and turned around so that she was sitting with her back to him. Shang sighed and moved around her. Instead of standing in front of her, he knelt and looked up at her downcast eyes.

"Why did you come back?" Mulan whispered suddenly. "You wanted me to leave."

"Oh Mulan, that was fro the avalanche." Shang replied. "I was frustrated. I did want you to leave then-"

"Why?" Mulan interrupted.

"Because I thought you were a distraction. When you saved the man from the river, I should have rewarded you, but instead, I yelled. Like then, and all the other times, I just didn't see that you weren't at all a distraction or a bother, but a huge help!" Tears had formed in Mulan's eyes and were now running down her cheeks. Shang reached up and wiped them away.

"When you went to the village, I was so scared that something bad would happen to you. I was afraid I wouldn't make it in time if something had happened. And, when you started slipping away from me during the blizzard, I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to tell you what I'm here to tell you now." He clasped her delicate hands between his own. "Mulan, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being distant and mean and uncaring. I understand if you can't forgive me, but before you think about that, I have something even more important to say."

Mulan's breath caught in her throat as Shang opened his mouth to speak. She was almost sure of what he was going to say, but he was taking to long to just say it. He seemed to be fumbling with his words. Again, she pulled one of her hands from between his and placed on one of his. She gave a gentle, reassuring squeeze and smiled slightly. He took a deep breath and said simply:

"I love you." Mulan dropped to her knees in front of Shang and threw her arms around him, much like her father had done to her. Shang was frozen in shock for a split-second before returning the hug.

"I love you too, Shang." She whispered in his ear. She pulled back suddenly, her eyes downcast once again. Shang grew worried.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concern showing in his eyes.

"How are we going to make this work?" At hearing this, Shang broke into a grin. Mulan stared at him with a questioning look.

"An emperor from a past dynasty had given a small token of friendship to his best generals. This was a small artifact that had an imperial seal on it. With it, the holder was allowed to choose who he wanted to court without having to go through the matchmaker. They would still have to use the matchmaker in order to keep the tokens secret; after all, everyone would want one. This token was passed down to the first born in each family."

"So, you have one?" Mulan asked.

"No," Shang shook his head. "I don't."

"Oh…" Mulan responded. "Then how-"

"But you do." Shang pulled the magnolia comb from his sash.

"My comb!" Mulan exclaimed, lifting it from his hands. "But how did you end up with it?"

"I found it when you ran away. It was in your tent."

"I don't know how it got there…I didn't pack it."

"No, I did." Both Mulan and Shang turned around to see Fa Zhou. "I put it in your bag before you left."

"So it's all true?" Mulan asked.

"Yes," Her father answered. "And you have my blessings." Mulan's eyes widened and she jumped up. She ran over to her father and hugged him.

"Thank you so much, Baba." She said, releasing him.

"You're welcome. Now, I'll leave you two in peace." Fa Zhou followed the same path that Grandmother Fa had taken back to the house.

"Are you sure it's one of the tokens?" Mulan asked, staring at her comb.

"Yes," Shang answered, turning it over in her hands. He pointed to the underside of one of the petals. "The crest is right there." Mulan didn't see it at first, but as she shifted the comb, the gold crest shined in the light. Mulan's face lit up and she threw her arms around Shang's neck.

Mushu smiled from across the garden. After watching her go through so much, his 'baby' was finally going to be happy.

Fin.

* * *

Yep, that's the end! Sorry it took so long, just to have the last chapter added! Thanks so much to all me reviewers! 


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